Robbers

This time of year beekeepers are wary of robbers- other bees, woodpeckers and wasps which are on the look out for easy honey or food. They do their best to protect the colonies by reducing the entrances so the pests find it hard to get access but they still try!!

September on the Allotment

All the potatoes have been gathered in now- there have been fantastic crops of French beans and we are struggling for space in the freezer to store the amount of raspberries, blackberries and other soft fruit. As we have cropped the beds green manure has been sown to strengthen the condition and fertility of the soil. These are left until the beds are needed and then dug in.

Recently on a visit to Sissinghurst they had sown Yellow Trefoil and then companion planted with squash to help with feeding and moisture retention for the vigorous squash plants. We have various varieties of squash this year and try them in a three sisters bed- sweetcorn, borlotti beans and squash together- as well as in raised beds. These potimarron were a favourite last year and kept really well in the cool dark garage. hopefully this year there will be a few to store again- we still need some more good growing weather to ripen them yet!

Autumn Bees

Back in the hive after the 1st Apiguard teatment things look good- there are less then 100 mites on the varroa board and its been on for over 2 weeks. From what I have read this is quite a low count so it looks as if the bees are doing well in this respect! The brood box is really full now, with activty on all the frames- as well as a  respectable amount of stores. Brigit is still busy with plenty of new eggs - I'm not sure if this is OK as at this time of year things should be slowing down in terms of brood. The new bees emerging now should be the 'winter bees' which will live for the whole of the winter and start the colony going in the spring next year if all goes well!