All Over

Well that's it! Another season over. My girls all tucked up for winter. Fondant on and the only action between now and Spring 2014 will be fondant checks and apiary site visits to ensure all is well. How quickly it has gone and the relief is huge that the summer actually produced and the bees go into winter in far better condition than twelve months ago.
One surprise today was where I had foolishly left a stack of empty supers on an eke with a roof over at one site (waiting for a visit where I have space to get them home): I lifted the lid and inside were 7 mice!! 4 jumped off in an array that reminded me of a firework going off, the other 3 squeezed in between frames trying to hide. Fortunately they had not done any damage other than to gather dried grass in preparation to build their winter home. I was sure the stack was secure with no gaps - obviously I was wrong !

Hornet

I was alarmed today to see a hornet walking around near one of my hives during my apiary visits. It stood out like a sore thumb it was so large; as I approached it flew off and I saw no more. In consolation I recognized it to be a British Hornet and not the dreaded Asian Hornet. Nevertheless I shall be vigilant over the coming weeks until the colder temperatures remove the threat, along with the now very visible wasps!

Vandals/ Pollen, such a pleasing site!

I arrived at one of my apiary sites today to find that the combination lock had been glued and the gate had been subjected to vigorous force resulting in the top bar (and a reinforcement attached) being split and cracked. This is an inconvenience to me and more to my landlords! I seethe at the mindless people who have done this and truly hope they get penance and more - what drives someone to commit such an act?
On a better note I saw loads of bees waddling back into their hive entrances laden with pollen on their legs - I will never tire of seeing such a site and I get "lost in time" watching. :-)

WASPS AND DEARTH?

Wasps have claimed 2 of my weaker colonies; robbing all food and brood(queen gone off lay?) resulting in abandoned hives when I looked today. More generally a lot of my colonies are not bringing much if any nectar back.

ALERT ! Wasps and a sudden dearth.

It was obvious today that there is little nectar coming into my hives at the  present moment, stores are reducing and in one alarming case - where wasps have plaguerised a colony - there was no nectar or pollen and the queen has stopped laying completely; this is a colony which still has 5 (14x12) frames of sealed brood and was very strong. I have put fondant on top and reduced the entrance right down to a small hole. Going back just a month there nectar was pouring into all my hives !

What A Smell

I have removed and extracted some honey this week and what I still find amazing is the bees phenomenal sense of smell. The merest hint of honey and they appear within seconds. I returned the supers to the hives for the bees to clean out (or refill ?) and as I arrived and opened the door of my Jimny the first of many bees appeared. When I got home and began to wipe down the vehicle interior I had bees around before I had chance to start cleaning, inquisitively venturing into the Jimny; amazing.

WASPS!

At every site today there were wasps trying to find a way into hives. I have put mouse guards onto all my hives and taped across part of them to reduce the entrances so as the bees might better defend them.
There has been very little fresh income in any supers on the hives and the season appears to be on the wane - winter to look forward to again! Our season is so short and intense.