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it’s a wrap
Sort of ready for winter, here – not sure if I did this right, but November is 2 days away and I thought I better at least provide some cold protection for the bees. I want to add some straw bales for added protection, too. I’m thinking the tar paper should cover the bottom a bit more – but I didn’t want to block the entrance…. Definitely still learning. A lot..
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saving heat
I finally was able to put in my entrance reducers today. Life is busy! Hopefully now the bees will be able to heat their homes even more efficiently. I thought for awhile about which way I should put the opening… do they look like they’re upside down? I’m not sure what’s the best way, or if it matters. This hive didn’t really care that I was putting in the entrance reducer – they’re my weaker hive for sure. If you look at this next pic, you can see the difference: These ladies were mighty ticked with me – one stung my veil (not me), and another just clung to my…
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lowering heating costs
On Saturday the 3rd, I went to the beeyard to feed one of my hives sugar syrup. They hadn’t filled out the frames as well as they could have, and it’s important for winter survival that they are full to maximum capacity. So, despite not wanting refined sugar in my life anymore, back in it came. In the top picture you see the hive with a honey super on top – I had to leave a space for the ziplock bag of sugar syrup between the frames and the lid. After Ken’s comment on a previous post, I thought I better follow his recommendations, so I built myself a rim.…
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pennies
It’s been quite a few years since pennies held any fascination for me, but beekeeping has brought them once again to a significant place in my life. My first sting as an adult was in Ken’s beeyard, and right away Steven put a penny on it for me. No swelling or pain. Weird! But wonderful. I started telling everyone who had the potential to be stung by a bee, that they should put a penny on it because it really works. My second bee sting, same story. Penny to the rescue yet again. Along the way, people questioned what it was about the pennies that gave them these magical bee-sting-soothing…