We have really started to feel the cold this month here in Lincolnshire. Despite this, there have been lots of jobs to be getting on with!

Hives have been hefted every couple of weeks, just to make sure there are plenty of stores going in to winter. If a hive feels a bit light, it has been fed fondant. The other big job this month has been tidying! The beekeeping cabin has been having a much-needed tidy-up after the busy year we’ve had. It is not a nice job but it saves having to do it when the bees are keeping me busy later on in the year. Occasionally, I also walk down the apiary site to make sure that the mouseguards are still attached to the hives and that the bees can fly freely in and out by making sure that the holes are not blocked with dead bees or other debris.

Another job around the corner is the winter varroa treatment. This will involve oxalic acid. To prepare for this, I have done a varroa mite drop check over a seven-day period as advised by the National Bee Unit. This involves inserting an inspection tray into all hives and counting the mite drop on each one over 7 days. From this, you can work out the approximate number of varroa in the hive, giving you a good idea as to which colonies are suffering most from varroa and which ones need monitoring more closely. I will most likely do the oxalic acid treatment early January on a cold but sunny day. After this, the main job will be making sure all colonies have enough food going into spring.