I was a couple of days late with the sugar dusting. Had bad weather and strong winds. Bees seem all right, had some more attacks on their stores but they don’t seem to be too perturbed about it.
I have opened the super to have a look as it slightly worried me with all the robbing that has occurred. They have a lot of stores, seem busy, they were not aggressive when I took the frames out.
I am still feeding them. I feed them sugar syrup 1,5 kg of sugar to 1 l of water. Like to feed them smaller quantities as it allows them to use it up during the night. As they are close to me it is not a problem to do it this way.
They are much calmer, quieter, flying out much later then in the summer, and are back in the beehive much earlier. The only flowers of any consequence are the autumn crocuses of which they are lots off. When its dry I have sprayed a bit of water on the hive.
Not planning to open up the hive anymore, other then to sugar dust and I do it by only lifting the top cover or feeder if it is on there. Otherwise it is pretty much sorted out for the winter the super hole has been blocked, the entrance reducer is in.