BBKA Forum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrE5JZAtK4I

It's time to start thinking about getting bees ready for winter.

The summer is effectively over here, there's very little flowering now where I am, the wasps are on the prowl.


Is your colony queen-right? Is she a good queen not a drone layer.

Are they fed enough? 15-20kg of food. They can be fed fondant as an emergency food.

Well protected against pests: use mouseguard, wrap with wire against woodpecker.

Spare equipment needs safely storing.

I'd add that I strap down hives with a ratchet strap - they are strapped down all year. Some people put bricks on top of hives.

NBU leaflet [PDF]

Preparing Honeybee Colonies for Winter
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/download ... fm?id=1072


Available on this page of useful leaflets
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

I still have queens in mini-nucs - both mated and un-mated, so I am (as often) way behind where I want to be. However feed is going on for some and varroa treatment is underway in some too. I also have some uniting to do - replacing poorer queens. I have supers that I want to get back on after extraction as well. Once these are cleaned out, they go in the freezer for 24 hours before storage.

Did laugh seeing the reference to crownboards and old matchsticks.

Was the subject of testy debate by some on the old BBKA Forum.

Made Oi Larf anyway...