To help the bees get through winter I have insulated the hives. The hive as it was.
Its now too cold for bees to eat the syrup they were being fed in Autumn so each hive gets a block of sugar fondant that has a low water content. The fondant is put on top of the frames near to the middle of the colony to make it easier for the bees to get to.
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| Fondant |
Next up wrap the hive in bubble wrap.
Finally wrap the hive in hessian.
I've put the queen excluder on the roof of the hive with a brick on it to [hopefully] stop it all from being blown away.
Nothing much is going to happen for a while until after Christmas when they get their oxalic treatment.
This is done so they are fairly free of varroa mite before the Spring. Its done in winter when the queen has stopped laying as the oxalic acid kills any brood in the hive as well as the varroa mites.
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