Episode 9: Grey wagtail, more feeding and the first frost.

[00:00:01] Welcome back to another episode of A Beekeeper's Diary.

[00:00:04] Thanks for coming for another listen, if you're one of the few that are hanging in there.

[00:00:09] Much appreciated. Thank you to all the people that take the time to listen. It's much appreciated.

[00:00:15] We are on the 11th of October 2024 and right now it's 12 degrees, quite wet underfoot.

[00:00:27] Definitely very autumnal. There was the first frost last night as well, so things have definitely taken a turn.

[00:00:35] At this time of day, it's a Friday, about 3 o'clock, the hives are in shadow now, so there's very little activity.

[00:00:43] There's a few stragglers at the front of the hive with their yellow pollen baskets being on the ivy

[00:00:54] and they've not quite made it all the way back to the hive, which is a sad reality at this time of year.

[00:00:59] I've tried to pick up a few stragglers and get them to make their way back in the hive, but they're very lethargic, unfortunately.

[00:01:07] But these are the casualties we have at this time of year.

[00:01:10] They become part of the food cycle and get eaten by wasps that are scavenging in the area.

[00:01:18] I've reduced the entrances to a small gap now, so the bees can defend the hive from wasps trying to get in.

[00:01:26] So the wasps are forced through a small entrance and the bees find it easier to defend.

[00:01:33] So I've got metal entrance blocks and I can slide the aperture different sizes.

[00:01:40] So in the summer, I take them right out so the whole entrance is open.

[00:01:44] But this time of year, I'm down to about an inch.

[00:01:47] And if I notice what's becoming a problem, I just close it down to the width of one tiny bee to make life easier for them.

[00:01:56] Another round of feeding.

[00:01:58] I've put four and a half kilos in each hive.

[00:02:03] They're both weighing pretty even now and the method of letting them have full access to the feeder covered in hay seems to be working.

[00:02:14] There's no mould.

[00:02:15] The bees are scuttling about and yeah, it seems to be working at the moment.

[00:02:20] It's a bit of a slow process topping it up so you don't catch any bees snoozing.

[00:02:28] Just distracted by the birdsong.

[00:02:31] There's a wagtail flying overhead as we speak.

[00:02:35] Gosh, that's a grey wagtail.

[00:02:37] Wow.

[00:02:38] Beautiful yellow chest.

[00:02:41] How nice is that?

[00:02:42] Fantastic.

[00:02:44] I'm totally distracted by the nature now.

[00:02:46] I had a buzz overhead a minute ago and then that caused the skylarks to start alarm calling in the area.

[00:02:53] So it's nice to know the skylarks are still about, keeping their heads down.

[00:02:59] So yellow wagtail, that's a new tick for the area.

[00:03:03] And jackdaws have been flying around as well.

[00:03:05] So that's quite nice.

[00:03:07] So yes, so feeding.

[00:03:09] Full top up in each hive.

[00:03:10] It's probably at the limit of where we can feed liquid now.

[00:03:13] I think it's going to be a bit too cold.

[00:03:15] The bees probably will stop taking it down and then we'll have to see where we're at and maybe use some solid feed later in the year.

[00:03:21] I think I've just sold the last of my runny summer honey, which is nice.

[00:03:30] It's been a bumper year for me.

[00:03:32] I'm well in profit for the season, so that's good for me.

[00:03:35] I'm sure I'll split it with my wife.

[00:03:38] Fair's fair.

[00:03:41] And I've got quite a few buckets of solid honey, some oilseed rape honey is solid in buckets in my garage.

[00:03:48] And I'm going to learn how to cream the honey so it becomes, instead of being sort of crunchy and granular,

[00:03:55] you create a smooth, buttery, thick honey that then I shall sell that over the winter.

[00:04:02] So I just have to wait for, probably now the temperature is suitable.

[00:04:07] It has to be below 14 degrees apparently to get a nice creamed honey.

[00:04:11] Once you've done the process, which I'll probably describe at a later date.

[00:04:18] So yeah, that's, I've got a good amount of that.

[00:04:21] So that'll be something to keep me busy other than all the usual maintenance and stuff that I forget to do until spring

[00:04:28] then regret it and have to do it all at the last minute, just before I need all the equipment.

[00:04:34] So yeah, nice little check in from here today.

[00:04:36] I'm just looking out over the, where the sun's hitting the fields.

[00:04:41] Sharp contrast with the shade that I'm standing in now with the wet, dewy feet.

[00:04:48] But I can still see the bees off foraging, just in smaller numbers and doing their best to make it back before it gets too cold.

[00:05:01] Just hold a gold, I just heard a goldfinch flying past as well.

[00:05:04] I don't know if this microphone picks any of it up, but it's nice to observe it as it passes by.

[00:05:12] So thanks for listening again.

[00:05:15] And I may check in next week. Let's see how we go.

[00:05:18] Have a good week. Laters.