The robbing season is over, so now would be a good time to put a match stick under the lid to provide some ventilation. If some air is able to escape, it should help with condensation. Some beekeepers are now using telescoping lids with built in ventilation.
A reminder to slope the hives forward so the water will run out the entrance.
Remove any strips if you used that type of medication for varroa mites. It’s not good to leave them in the hive any longer than what is directed on the labeling.
Remove the queen excluders if you use them. It’s possible that the queen could get trapped below the excluder as the cluster slowly moves upward. If she doesn’t stay in the cluster, she could freeze.
Weight the lids with rocks or bricks or check the apiary immediately after a wind storm. In fact, it’s always a good idea to check the apiary after a wind storm.
The time for feeding syrup is now over. Having a liquid in or on the hive is now a problem, because of the moisture it creates.
Now is the time to look back and see what worked and what didn’t in your apiary.
Copyright 2014-Richard Farrier-All rights reserved