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Winter Solstice

Well, the Winter Solstice has just passed and things are vastly different when they were when I took charge of my first hive on January. Drought, record breaking heat and bushfires all up and down the eastern seaboard have given way to crisp chill mornings and clear days woth temps soaring to 20 deg. on the hottest afternoons. I dread next summer though, overnight I hear on the BBC World Service that a place in the Arctic recorded 38 deg, 18 deg above it's previous maximum. So summer here might be another bee-killing stinker.
But for now, which is all I can work with, it's all dandy. My two hives, just baby nuc hives on autumn have become too heavy to heft. I'm actually concerned they will outgrow their space and think about swarming. So as soon as this weather shows sign of warming a fraction (or should I be looking out for a nectar flow?), I'll flip the lids and check. I should have a couple of supers at the ready regardless.
I've not been idle on the bee front. Over the last week or so I've assembled and painted 10 Deep boxes. Next, I'll buy some frames and get those ready. The make some insulated lids and bases and get them painted up.
I've been reading too. For the second time this month actually, "The Bee Book" by Sue Hubbell (dec). The solo commercial keeper who maintained 300 hives, in "groups of 10 or twelve" on the Ozark mountains, USA. I really enjoy her attitude, relaxed, total devotion to the bees, incurably curious and homey. Lovely reading.


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