Today is about 14 degrees Celsius, too cold to open a hive by Australian standards. But I'm thinking hard about protecting my 2 hives from the cold.
Two weeks ago I shit down the entrances to slow cold drafts from entering the gr8 e. I've read that the bees work really hard to maintain upwards of 34 degrees Celsius I the you've over winter. So any attempt to keep them warm, preserves the bees and honey stores.
So here I am wanting to insert two short pieces of foam into the entrance. I'll only bee a minute I tell myself, no need for a veil, no need for smoke ... I did my second hive first, just a few weeks here, they were a bit cranky when they landed and at their first inspection. But things have improved, they seem to be very busy, multiplying in numbers and probably stored. (Judging by the traffic alone, that is.) Well, today with me wedging pieces off alien material in the hive, they could not have cared less. Job done!
Next I move on to hive one, three months from nuc stage, very productive hive that earned itself an Ideal super in record time. One piece in, then bang, bang, bang! As quick as that, three stings on the forearm. I took the message and retreated fairly rapidly.
Fastforward a couple of weeks to today. It's cold, there's not much traffic I assume. That wide entrance is bugging me. I bought a yoga mat for $16 and cut two hive ever mats and had some pieces spare to finish the hive one opening. I used a veil this time :), too cold to put the mat in the hive, so I laid them on top with a brick over to add insulation and to flatten out the material. Then before retreating, I slot a small piece into the entrance side. As I stayed to see how out was being accepted, I was amazed to see the traffic jam. Well, they are actually out working harder than I thought. But the time I got my photo, they had found their ways inside.
I went back to hive two and tried to remove the blocks that I put in before because I preferred the yoga mat, buti couldn't budge the rubber block. Probably propolised in place. Darlings. Then I saw a Guard Bee hi e a sharp shove to an unwanted Guest. I wonder if the guest was from next door, or a lazy Drone being given his matching orders. I didn't get a good look.
Anyway, both colonies seem to be thriving. Happy bees, happy me.
To bee continued...
Two weeks ago I shit down the entrances to slow cold drafts from entering the gr8 e. I've read that the bees work really hard to maintain upwards of 34 degrees Celsius I the you've over winter. So any attempt to keep them warm, preserves the bees and honey stores.
So here I am wanting to insert two short pieces of foam into the entrance. I'll only bee a minute I tell myself, no need for a veil, no need for smoke ... I did my second hive first, just a few weeks here, they were a bit cranky when they landed and at their first inspection. But things have improved, they seem to be very busy, multiplying in numbers and probably stored. (Judging by the traffic alone, that is.) Well, today with me wedging pieces off alien material in the hive, they could not have cared less. Job done!
Next I move on to hive one, three months from nuc stage, very productive hive that earned itself an Ideal super in record time. One piece in, then bang, bang, bang! As quick as that, three stings on the forearm. I took the message and retreated fairly rapidly.
Fastforward a couple of weeks to today. It's cold, there's not much traffic I assume. That wide entrance is bugging me. I bought a yoga mat for $16 and cut two hive ever mats and had some pieces spare to finish the hive one opening. I used a veil this time :), too cold to put the mat in the hive, so I laid them on top with a brick over to add insulation and to flatten out the material. Then before retreating, I slot a small piece into the entrance side. As I stayed to see how out was being accepted, I was amazed to see the traffic jam. Well, they are actually out working harder than I thought. But the time I got my photo, they had found their ways inside.
A traffic jam in 14 deg cold.
I went back to hive two and tried to remove the blocks that I put in before because I preferred the yoga mat, buti couldn't budge the rubber block. Probably propolised in place. Darlings. Then I saw a Guard Bee hi e a sharp shove to an unwanted Guest. I wonder if the guest was from next door, or a lazy Drone being given his matching orders. I didn't get a good look.
Anyway, both colonies seem to be thriving. Happy bees, happy me.
To bee continued...
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