A routine visit today, as far as the bees are concerned the Honey season is over, they are thinking of next year! I must do the same, but first there is a couple of items to attend to too. One was to put the wasp traps on because the little banded robbers will be out soon as the food there mother left them runs out. The second is its very warm at the moment, and although the bees like it to be warm, they don't want to be cooked!. The standard "National" hive has a flat metal roof, so you can imagine, its get hot. So I have put spacers on and then a thin board so that it protects the metal and should get a cooling draught between the two.
Looking ahead its important that there is a big enough swarm to survive the winter, many will die at the end of the season and the swarm contacts fro maybe 20,000 to 5000, ( also all the males get kicked out!)so this translate into about six frames of bees minimum and at the moment it looks like the two newest and smallest swarms will make to six mark. ( Queen Anne and Mary)
At the end of the month I have to treat all the hives with "Apiguard" to kill off any Veroa mites that will be in the hive and take off the last of the honey for me and then put some sugar mix on for them to change into honey for there winter stores.
They are going to be busy! until next time them from the corner field.