Episode 12: Two last bee stings and final syrup feeds.

[00:00:02] Welcome to another episode of A Beekeepers Diary.

[00:00:06] I'm trying something to simultaneously record a video and an audio podcast at the same time.

[00:00:14] So I'm just showing on my video the hives in their situation and then it's just going

[00:00:22] to be my face of a random bloke standing in a tree for the rest of the video.

[00:00:27] Who knows what it'll turn out like but it's a bit of fun isn't it?

[00:00:32] So we are now at the beginning of November and it's still quite warm although the bees aren't

[00:00:41] really flying too much.

[00:00:44] It's a nice still autumnal day, red kites flying overhead, cooling from time to time.

[00:00:52] There was 10 in the air earlier on which I've tried to video on my phone, it's not so easy

[00:00:57] but I've given it a go.

[00:00:59] I'll try and cut that in if I can.

[00:01:03] You might be able to hear the wind rustling in the trees just here.

[00:01:08] My usual spot.

[00:01:10] If anyone can see me it looks like I'm just muttering to myself in a field which is true.

[00:01:16] So today on hive two I've now put that fully into winter mode.

[00:01:22] So I've taken the feeders off both hives.

[00:01:29] Managed to coax the bees out of that which was moderately traumatic.

[00:01:33] I've had some bee, my last bit of bee venom therapy for the year.

[00:01:37] One in the hand and for the first time one got inside my welly boots and stung me on the

[00:01:42] ankle which is rude.

[00:01:45] So that was fun.

[00:01:46] I'd forgotten what that felt like.

[00:01:49] So a last little reminder from the bees.

[00:01:52] They're not benign at all times especially if it's cold and they're grumpy.

[00:01:57] So yeah the feeders are off.

[00:02:00] Feeding is completed of the syrup.

[00:02:04] Bonnets are on.

[00:02:06] The metal roofs are on.

[00:02:09] I put the posts around the hives to keep woodpeckers away from the polyhives so they can't pick their

[00:02:14] way in.

[00:02:16] And yeah still the last few wasps are hanging around but I think we've survived any onslaught

[00:02:21] that might happen.

[00:02:27] Sort of beekeeping adjacent.

[00:02:30] I tried to make a rolled candle this week.

[00:02:34] I bought a cheap silicon mat from Amazon and you melt your wax, pour it into the silicon

[00:02:43] tray and sort of roll another mat on top of it and it makes the hexagonal shapes in the

[00:02:51] bee's wax.

[00:02:56] Then once it's dried you put a wick through the middle of it and roll it up.

[00:03:04] It was a very ragged effort and the wick was too big so it was a bit of a towering inferno.

[00:03:13] But it worked.

[00:03:14] It was fun so that's something I can have a bit of fun with over the winter.

[00:03:18] I quite like making candles.

[00:03:20] I make some traditional poured candles into moulds which I quite like doing but the rolled

[00:03:27] one looks fun and quite an attractive product so I thought I might have a go at making some

[00:03:32] of those.

[00:03:35] Nature wise this week not so much.

[00:03:39] I've just been working hard.

[00:03:41] Haven't seen much of my travels.

[00:03:44] The only strange thing I've seen this week was this morning when I went to my allotment

[00:03:49] to get the bonnets from the shed where I keep them.

[00:03:54] Just in the middle of a random allotment plot, not near any water.

[00:03:57] There was a moorhen skulking about on someone's plot.

[00:04:03] So that was a bit different.

[00:04:05] Made me double take.

[00:04:09] I think in this vicinity here as well I'm hearing that the yard on the other side of the

[00:04:20] field has been sold to developers as well which is a shame.

[00:04:25] So slowly housing developments and the like are surrounding this field.

[00:04:31] Might end up being the last remaining field that doesn't get built on.

[00:04:35] But the guy that owns this field is doing his best to keep it away or maybe offer alternatives

[00:04:42] to try and keep this field which I very much appreciate.

[00:04:48] So we'll keep watching with interest how this develops over the year.

[00:04:53] But we shall see.

[00:04:54] A bit worrying.

[00:04:56] But hopefully we'll be okay for next season.

[00:04:59] We'll see.

[00:04:59] Bye.

[00:05:01] That's it from me for today and thanks for listening.

[00:05:06] Thanks for all the listeners.

[00:05:07] I've had a listener in Serbia.

[00:05:08] I don't know if people are using VPNs but I've got some interesting countries.

[00:05:13] So if you're that Serbian person or you're that Indian person, drop me a message.

[00:05:19] I'll be interested to hear from you.

[00:05:20] You can find me on beekeepersdiarypodcast.com.

[00:05:25] Links to everything on there.

[00:05:28] Yeah.

[00:05:29] Subscribe on Spotify if you fancy.

[00:05:32] Let me know you're out there and listening.

[00:05:35] Thanks again and I'll catch you next time.