Autumn Leaves

The Ohio leaves are slowly turning their wonderful autumn colors. Cool air has visited the Columbus area, and is cueing the honeybees to begin final preparations for winter. For the first time this season, the hive is nearly full of comb (only 3 frames without). The outer combs are heavy with capped honey, and the Queen  is still producing eggs! I have begun placing corks in the entrance holes, to help the warmth of the hive during some of our cold nights. 

The hive will be brought into the garage during the winter, as we help this new hive survive the cold. My dad and I drilled a hole through the garage wall and fastened one of the wood panels with a hinge, to allow for an entrance/exit hole. We will connect the exterior hole to one of the top-bar hive entrances, with a piece of tubing. While the garage will still be cold, the hive will not have to endure any harsh winds - and can even be lightly blanketed. 

Images to come soon!