We're getting ready to pack down the apiary for the coming cold weather, so I tend to walk around and just watch landing boards for signs of trouble. Good news, there aren't any "landing board" issues at the moment.
Several of the hives will need entrance reducers added.
I leave some open and some reduced for observation purposes. Time and again, there are no honey production variations between small and wide entrances during a nectar flow.
Wide entrances require more guard bees on the landing board.
Prior to the nectar flow coming to an end, all entrances will have reducers in place.
It's much easier to prevent robbing from starting off than is to stop that runaway train once it's rolling.
Late season colonies will be provided with sugar syrup until the nights begin to freeze.
At the end of October, all hives that have feeding options, will have Hive Alive Fondant packs on top of their insulated inner covers.
Hives that will not have the fondant packs on them include:
Long Langstroth
Layens
Observation Hives
Ivry-B
Nucleus Hives
All others will have fondant packs on through winter.
All hives will have insulated covers on them.
The only hives with insulated side-walls as well as the covers will be:
Apimaye
Ivry-B
Layens
All entrances that are near the ground will have 3/8" high entrance reducers to prevent winter rodent occupation.
All surplus honey will be removed starting today and continue into next week.
To learn more about Hive Alive, please follow this link:
[ Ссылка ]
How to pack your hive down for wintering: [ Ссылка ]
