Local buzzards get any carcasses well before any foxes, which are becoming quite rare in the countryside around me.
Finished feeding syrup to hives this weekend and removed all feeders today. Forecast is bad all week, cold and rainy so just cracked on with it. Bees were good as gold as I scraped their excess burr comb from top of frames and re-arranged the Apivar strips. I'm becoming more convinced that laying the strips on top of the frames might be more efficient than sticking them between frames. Very low varroa drops from most hives as seen on the inspection trays which are now firmly in and on all winter, giving me the equivalent of solid floors.
Now, apart from one hive with dwindling bee numbers (queenless I think....well didn't spot her on a quick inspection) most are big and strong going into winter. So fingers crossed....but I can't help wondering what curved ball mother nature will throw at us this winter.
Finished feeding syrup to hives this weekend and removed all feeders today. Forecast is bad all week, cold and rainy so just cracked on with it. Bees were good as gold as I scraped their excess burr comb from top of frames and re-arranged the Apivar strips. I'm becoming more convinced that laying the strips on top of the frames might be more efficient than sticking them between frames. Very low varroa drops from most hives as seen on the inspection trays which are now firmly in and on all winter, giving me the equivalent of solid floors.
Now, apart from one hive with dwindling bee numbers (queenless I think....well didn't spot her on a quick inspection) most are big and strong going into winter. So fingers crossed....but I can't help wondering what curved ball mother nature will throw at us this winter.