Title Photo: Wild Comb
As we move well and truly into Autumn the colonies are well into ‘close down mode’ but will storm out to work any flowers still about as the temperatures are still high enough for them to be able to fly.
This first picture taken earlier in the month shows how busy they can be on the Ivy collecting the last flow of nectar and pollen from this freely available plant.
This means of course that predators are also still about so Mouse Guards and Chicken Wire needs to be around or all that winter food you have given them will be used to breed wasps, hornets or the neighbours’ bees!
The apple crop this year has been extraordinary with as many on the ground as on the trees which means as well as the local crow population, deer, badgers and wasps are thoroughly enjoying themselves.
But don’t be fooled. Until we get our first frosts maybe next month, the worker wasps will continue to pester our colonies.
The European Hornet Queens (EH) as are the Wasp Queens, will now be finding somewhere to hibernate out the winter .
When checking under the water butt by the Greenhouse, ready to patiently empty it before hard winter frosts cause damage, I found what appeared to be two EH’s swimming in the water trying and failing to get out.
It turns out one was using the other, deceased, as a raft to survive. Mother Nature at her harshest – only the strong survive.
Even in late October there are still flowers about but not all are any good for Honey bees, yet others feast.
As the Autumn is still so mild the last of the summer Fruits are still about as we continue to pick Autumn Raspberries and my cultivated blackberries are bearing fruit even at the end of this month.
It is time to put the Apiary into “Lock down mode”
Please ensure you still wear a veil when working on your colonies especially at this late ‘warm’ time of the year. Any brief look under a roof or crown board will result in a defensive reaction by a good number of the remaining worker bees in the hive. They have little else to do and you will be a big distraction!!!!
Ensure they are well fed. If in any doubt place a lump of Fondant on a Queen Excluder directly above the cluster.
Clean the Varroa slide to remove debris and prevent it becoming a breeding ground for wax moth and other parasites.
Mouse Guard on, less for bees to defend against unwanted intruders.
Chicken Wire around to keep away hungry woodpeckers.
Insulate roof with square of old carpet on top of the crown board if you think it is necessary plenty of ventilation from the varroa floor.
Weigh down roof with bricks in unprotected areas preparing for those winter storms. Hopefully not as bad as the one hitting Jamaica at present.
Then leave alone for colonies to gently tick over during next few months.
Wild Comb
The bees delight in catching out experienced Beekeepers who generally leave their colonies to be and just get on with it.
The type of hive doesn’t matter even if you have empty supers on, they may just decide to build above the space between the crown board and the roof.
A job to sort out come the Spring…….
