With the extreme dry weather in the Southeast, forest fires are a threat to our area.
One way to keep hives safe is to clean and brush leaves from around your hives. Be sure to have a plan in place to move them should the need arise to do so. Make sure if you use a smoker that you carefully see that all sparks are out when done.
Bees may need to be fed early in the winter. One easy way is to place a shim on top of the hive and put a paper plate with a cup of sugar on it inside on the top bar of the top hive. Ventilation is also important. With the cold nights and as the temperature warms during the day, the air warming causes condensation which can freeze the bees. The solution is to place a small strip of wood between the top cover and inner cover to create air flow.
Winter is a good time to plan for next year. You can get your equipment ready by repairing and painting, getting new wood ware ordered and assembled. If you want more bees, now is the time to order to get them early. If you wait till Spring, it may be too late.
Comments 1
This is actually useful, thanks.