Since I was very busy Ben took care of the bees yesterday. The only comment I got was that everyone looks good, and no one drinks or eats too much! I guess the honeybees know what to do! Ben did not have to use a lot of sugar syrup or pollen patties. I think the bees are ready for winter. They will eat less and less, especially as the daylight is shrinking and the nights are getting colder.
Since a few weeks now, the queens are diminishing their eggs production tremendously, reducing the workforce, and keeping a minimum but sufficient numbers of honeybees to survive for the next 6 months using only their honey and pollen storage. Hopefully they ALL have enough storage to go through winter. As a beekeeper I feel we have done what we could for our little darlings again this season, and now they have to rely exclusively on themselves. Their survival is mostly determined by their genes , instincts and having a smaller wintering population. Very soon, the workers will kick out of the hive any remaining drones... their days are counted. The poor rejected males will be walking aimlessly in front of the hive knowing that they are absolutely not welcomed back. Yes, it is sad and I don't like seeing them being pushed away, but this seemingly tragic event is of utmost necessity for the survival of each colony ....less mouths to feed. Remember drones don't work in any shape or form in a hive, not in spring nor summer, not ever. They will mate once in their whole drone-life with a queen IF they are lucky and die soon after. Better luck to play the lottery! But we love them anyway!!!
We will visit the bees next week and see if we are done feeding them, that is if they do not consumed anything (syrup or pollen patties) our feeding chore will be over until spring. Mid-November we will cover the hive with a black waxed cardboard carton to protect them against the frigid winds.
PS: I have some honey for sell! See my next post :)
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