Autumn Feeding

I made a super thick syrup for the bees today, with a double dose of Honey B Healthy added.  The Autumn food for bees is different than the spring feeding.  Fall feeding gives the bees an extra store of nutrients to be packed in the lower frames. This is to ensure they will have enough food to get them through the cold winter months.  We've had some very cold nights this past week which froze pretty much anything that was still in bloom, so the hives will be appreciative of the additional source to fill any empty combs.

Last week I finally got around to harvesting the honey.  It wasn't as much as I'd hoped for, but I did harvest late, which means the empty combs may be a sign that honey has already been consumed by the bees - they'll be saving the deep supers store for the coming colder months.  Also, it was an extreme drought season for us - which resulted in fewer blooming plants and less pollen.  I can't complain - there's a nice stash of honey lining a pantry shelf for us to enjoy - all thanks to the generosity of the bees.

In another week (and on a less windy day) I will be wrapping the hives with their winter insulation.  We've already put the entrance reducers in place - a piece of wood that minimizes the entrance to a size that will only accommodate bees - mice are notorious invaders at this time of year.  Why wouldn't they be? A hive provides a cozy compound with a supply of sweet treats to nibble on throughout the winter months. 

Not only do the bees provide their liquid gold for our enjoyment, they also do an amazing job of cleaning up the harvest mess.  Anything that has a drop of honey stuck to it can be left outside and within a couple of days, all signs of stickiness will be gone. In fact, the pan within which I mixed up their winter syrup is presently sitting on the deck coffee table waiting for a bee clean up team to get to work.  Tomorrow, all I will have to do, is rinse out the pan with a little soapy water - it and the ladle will be dry of all signs of syrup. Bees ... a most amazing and enjoyable creature.