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So the super mild weather showing 13 degrees at the end of November has given me the opportunity to add a little extra winter feed. I have tried to set up my hives for winter so that even when cold I can check on the sugar remaining in the winter feeder box and add more, … Read more
So it is that time of year where the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder. Time to wrap up the hives for winter. We have a mild winter here in the UK so I don’t plan to do much. The poly hives are great for this as they retain heat much … Read more
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Had a good check of the hives this afternoon. They are all buzzing. Didn’t open any other than to add the supers. Loads of bee activity with pollen coming in from all angles. Lovely orange pollen. I added 2 flow supers to the Red and Green Poly hives in an experiment to see how they … Read more
Flow frames are great, but they are a pain to over winter. Luckily with low quantities of wax they don’t get wax moth larvae eating their way through them and destroying them however they do get a little mouldy. They are then a pain to clean before deployment in the spring. A steam cleaner is … Read more
As is always the case with my beekeeping I have one harvest a year. Like other years the harvest was end of August and beginning of September. It is a difficult job judging when to take the harvest. You want to have a period of good weather where the flow is in full stream. Too … Read more
This was a bit of a “Fluid” hive inspection. I wanted to have a look at all the bees and make sure things were OK as well as change the batteries in 4 of the hive hearts. These batteries that should last for a year have managed 6 months. I also gave the area a … Read more
OK so anyone who uses flow frames will know that after a year or so they get a bit manky. Chat forums are full of people asking how to clean them or if they should clean them at all etc. I always tried not to clean them but this year they are particularly grubby. I … Read more
The plan today was to put supers on all ready for spring. the bluebells are out and there are lots of flowers around. The colonies were looking strong last inspection so it is about time. I also like to get supers on early with the poly hives as they are easier to keep warm. There … Read more
So I tend to do wax once a year. Everyone does wax differently and I have tried many ways. The important thing to realise is that wax gets messy, Seriously messy. So be prepared for a big tidy up. Equipment Good sized bucket to store the dirty wax. Old fashioned Steamer Juicer / cordial maker. … Read more
