I was back by the bees New Year’s Day. I put some sugar on top of the inner cover on the hives that are still alive. I almost got stung when they got a little upset with me. I was wearing a black hoodie – the very opposite of a bee suit, and I must have looked like a bear to them. As soon as dropped in the sugar they were upset and headed for my hair.
It was 48° when I gave them the sugar. There were a few bees around the entrance. Here are a few pictures of the front of the hive. You can see one or two bees wandering around the entrance to each hive. When you open the top, the vent hole on the inner cover is full of bees.
Compare this to October 22. These are a couple of pictures of the hives in 75° weather. I had taken off the top feeders in June when I harvested honey, so I was using front feeders in October. I certainly hope that I was able to get the girls enough stored honey to make it through the winter.
