Are you Ready?

[LazyBkpr]

IT is almost here...  Everyone got their bees treated? Weak hives merged to make a good strong hive for winter? Patties on the top bars? Bees ALL fed up and ready to put sugar in one form or another on the top bars?  ITS COMING! Whether we want it or not!

[The15thMember]

I'm right on the brink myself.  I've got maybe one more round of inspections before everyone is buttoned up for the winter.  I've got a couple frames of honey to distribute, and I have a smaller hive that I may be wintering on top of another one if I think they can't keep themselves warm.  I'm on the fence about them.  A few weeks ago I was sure they were too small, but they've kept rearing brood while may of the other hives have stopped, and I think now they may be able to tough it out themselves.  The question will be whether I think they need to be in one box or two. 

[Jen]

Same as 15th. We here in upper northern California are still having warm days and by golly the bees are bringing in some pollen.

With the false spring we had in late January and February, the foraging opportunities bloomed waaay to early, then we got nasty long freeze which killed many of our May bloomers. So most of us here have hives that did not bulk up enough. All five of my hives will be reduced down to one brood box and a super. I'm going to wait until mid November to reduce.

15th, I do like your idea of placing a hive on top of another hive for warmth. How do you do that?

[The15thMember]

Same as 15th. We here in upper northern California are still having warm days and by golly the bees are bringing in some pollen.

With the false spring we had in late January and February, the foraging opportunities bloomed waaay to early, then we got nasty long freeze which killed many of our May bloomers. So most of us here have hives that did not bulk up enough. All five of my hives will be reduced down to one brood box and a super. I'm going to wait until mid November to reduce.

We had something similar happen in spring here.  Just when everything early had started blooming we had a hard freeze, which killed all the flowers.

15th, I do like your idea of placing a hive on top of another hive for warmth. How do you do that?

 
I got a double screen board, also called a Snelgrove board, last year for Christmas.  I haven't used it yet, but this is one of the reasons I wanted to get one.  I had a small hive a few years ago that I probably could have saved if I had had one.  The double screen board will keep the bees from getting to each other, but the small hive can take advantage of the big hive's heat.     

[Bakersdozen]

I am still feed 2:1 sugar syrup.  All but two of my hives are incredibly light.  I will do an OA dribble in November.  Sugar bricks will come later.  Maybe sooner if I don't get enough sugar syrup in the hives on time.