Sunday 4th October
It has stayed far too cold to see much of the bees and they've slowed right down taking the sugar syrup now. I made up a total of 22kg of sugar for both hives (this may seem a lot but I had to use more than that to make up the supplies for just the one hive last year!)
I removed the feeders then tied down the roofs. I fitted the mouseguards again then surrounded both hives with chicken wire - it doesn't look beautiful but it's a quick fix for the green woodpecker problem!
There's nothing more we can do now until next year now, probably next March again. It gives me plenty of time to study up on swarm control - I want to make sure that I don't lose another one now!
PS I'm hoping that the backgound in that picture in my previous diary entry will look quite different next spring - we've been wanting rid of those straggly old pines for years now!...
