Title Photo: Too Late for this Hive – all robbed out
At the start of the month it was so hot I took out all my Varroa slides and sat roofs on top of supers to allow a through draft so the colonies could more easily ventilate themselves and not cook. When I shut the hens up at dusk all roofs are returned to their normal positions. Then of course it got very wet and the chill of the Autumn was upon us by the end of the month.
In between time, most of us have taken off a good honey crop, returned supers to the hives above an eke so the bees can clean them up, and start to think about any Varroa treatment needed, depending on the drop levels onto your Varroa boards.
I’m pleased to see the Fondant purchase scheme at Wests Bakers in Wellesbourne is going well, as we all plan what and how much we intend to feed the colonies to survive the winter.
Preparing for the winter:
The below picture shows a small Nuc with a young Queen from 2024 which will not survive the winter as it is as it is to weak . The wasps have found their way in already so their fate is sealed if I don’t take action.
What I will do is unite it with another colony putting a sheet of newspaper between the two brood chambers so by the time they chew through it the colony odour is the same and they will not fight. The Queens will sort themselves out for dominance.
I over-winter all my hives on one Brood chamber leaving on the Queen excluder so I can feed Fondant directly over the cluster when needed.
Then an eke or empty super, crown board and then roof.
The supers are all stored elsewhere in a mouse proof location and woodpecker protection in the form of chicken wire goes around later.
Wasps:
The media appear to think there are few wasps around this season, well they have not been around my Apiary especially the weaker hives.
The one I showed in the ground last month next to one of my hives, was destroyed but there are still plenty around.
I’ve got wooden mouse guards already on my hives so the bees have a fighting chance to keep them out as this reduces the front entrance down to a defendable size. In fact one they had robbed out, wax moth have already invaded and was only fit for the bonfire.
I will have simple wasp traps around and about but not close to the hives hopefully in an attempt to keep the number of worker wasps down and away from my hives.
Essential Autumn Food:
This strange weather has caused late flowering of many plants which the bees are taking full advantage of, when not raining or cold, and the nectar and pollen they collect will go towards winter stores and breeding “fat bees” that survive the next six months or so.
The National Open Garden scheme, the proceeds of which go towards charities including the ‘Queens Nurses,’ have some wonderful displays of summer perennials and the following pictures were taken in Wasperton during late August.
I of course go for the home cooked cakes in between watching the bees filling their Pollen sacks and tummies with Nectar.
Asian Hornet:
Well, all the signs are they are still about on the South coast and first week of September is the Asian Hornet week so let’s get our traps out, well away from the Apiary, and see what we can find or hopefully not.
European Hornets aside if I catch a few wasps well tough, don’t like the little blighters anyway.
Next Month: Ready to batten down the hatches as the cold of Autumn arrives.
But whilst there are still some dry days, maintenance of old tired kit before it is put away for the winter.