Saturday 27th September
It's a good forecast for tomorrow so we're planning on officially closing down the hive for the winter. I suppose it's unnecessary to do another inspection because last week's was ideal but there are a number of jobs to do to see the colony through the winter months. It's very strange to think that we won't be opening it up again until next March at least! I've made a list of all the jobs to do:
* Check the hive is totally full of food stores - there's no way to give extra rations during the winter months as you can only normally open the hive up in 'shirtsleeves' weather. [done 28/9]
* Check that the queen is laying (although realistically, if she weren't there's not a single thing we could do about it this late in the season! This is just a check for my own peace of mind) [done 28/9]
* Clean and replace the Varroa floor. I won't be removing this much in the winter as it would be a bit pointless - it would only serve to disturb the bees and there's nothing I could do about any problem until the spring anyway! [done 28/9]
* Remove the rapid-feeder. This has no use in the cold weather at all and it needs a good clean out anyway. [done 28/9]
* Check that the hive floor is free of debris (and cheeky mice looking for a warm spot to see the winter through!) [done 28/9]
* Attach mouseguard firmly, so that the cheeky mouse can't get in after I've closed the hive. [done 28/9]
* Use hive ratchet strap to secure the lid on the hive. This is more necessary in other parts of the world where raccoons, etc are a problem but here it prevents any slim risk of a freak wind blowing the roof off. [done .../...]
* Put a couple of matchsticks under the crownboard. This removes any condensation problems in cold weather - as the bees keep themselves warm condensation can form on the inside of the lid if it's really cold outside. Doing this prevents any cold drips of water from falling on the bees. [done .../...]
* Surround the whole hive with chicken wire. This sounds a bit extreme but is vital around here - green woodpeckers are very skilled at finding honey bee colonies in winter when there are few other grubs available. They tap on the side and, if there is an answering buzz from inside they hammer their way in to eat the bees and larvae - often the whole colony is killed by the cold and you have a major repair to do as well! [done .../...]
Also it's my son's birthday party during the day too - I'm sure we'll fit it all in somehow!
