Just found this forum...lots of good info. I am a new beek this year, have only one hive. It started as package in May...has grown nicely, produced a very tasty, extremely light honey(almost the color of lemonade), which many people were surprised by(we have lots of alfalfa, clover, fireweed...around us which can produce very light honey...or so I have read). I have two deeps and two medium supers which I want to leave for the bees(I only pulled 2 frames just to see/taste the honey)...if there is honey left then I think we'll take it in the spring. I fed sugar water when we got them but really don't want to fall feed, feel that their honey is much better for them.
We have a screened bottom board and I am getting an all season inner cover from Honey Run Apiaries which will hopefully keep the bees dry during our cold, long winter. I did a 3 day mite count and averaged 40-50 per day(seems high for a package, but what do I know?)...trying not to be too concerned and trust that they will make it thru the winter.
I have a question about the screened bottom board...
When we set up the hive, hubby put down concrete blocks and then a piece of plyboard on top of them followed by the screened bottom board. Do you think we should take the plyboard off and just let the SBB sit on the blocks or can we leave it on there? I just wonder if the mites are falling on the plyboard and are not dead would they crawl back up into the hive? Thanks for any and all responses. Halley
We have a screened bottom board and I am getting an all season inner cover from Honey Run Apiaries which will hopefully keep the bees dry during our cold, long winter. I did a 3 day mite count and averaged 40-50 per day(seems high for a package, but what do I know?)...trying not to be too concerned and trust that they will make it thru the winter.
I have a question about the screened bottom board...
When we set up the hive, hubby put down concrete blocks and then a piece of plyboard on top of them followed by the screened bottom board. Do you think we should take the plyboard off and just let the SBB sit on the blocks or can we leave it on there? I just wonder if the mites are falling on the plyboard and are not dead would they crawl back up into the hive? Thanks for any and all responses. Halley