Bees out working

Hi all,
I have been away from the forum lately. I can't believe this weather....so mild today. My girls are out foraging away. Bringing in some dark yellow pollen. There is a slight smell to the hives...so I guess that they are finally working the ivy around here. The air is thick with bees.
In the small hive (number 3) ....the bees cover 7 frames when they huddle up on a cold day...do you think that there are enough bees to get through the winter....that is assuming no disease and sufficient stores?
Interestingly, Hive Number 1 with the Carniolan bees have taken all the fondant but the other two hives, which are dark brown and black mongrels, have both got quite a lot of the fondant left.

Absolutely masses of pollen going into all mine. Ivy is fast going over though it's obvious they are finding it somewhere.
Come on winter.....where are you?

Tremyfro said:

Hi all,
the Carniolan bees have taken all the fondant

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They are still busy making more bees....they like to do that.

Erichalfbee said:

Come on winter.....where are you?

Click to expand...

Be careful what you wish for Erica ....

Out and about in shirt sleeves again today .. unbelievable .. warmest Halloween for 40 years predicted down here ... long may it continue ...

Ivy will be gone soon. There will be nothing else till Spring. If it stays warm I will have to put feeders back on......

Last night I found the underside of one OMF festooned with clumps of bees.
This morning husband and I launched a rescue mission which involved scraping hundreds of comatose bees with a silicone spatula into a box and then tipping them into an empty super over a crown board with an open feeding hole.
Took a few stings.....ungrateful lot!!

I want a break..to sit by the wood burner in the evening with a glass of malt or our own sloe gin, have the Rayburn on and have a toasty warm kitchen in the morning. I want to plan Christmas.

I looked at the Ivy on a tree near my home, no flowers with pollen left. The bees are still brining in masses of stores and pollen. This is coming from a field of mustard and radish which is grown as a green manure crop. This will be about until the frost, so the longer we are frost free the more store are brought in the less I have to feed.

One hive has a full super which they can keep. I extracted another super 3 wks ago, it's very strong so the bees can keep it!!

The next crop for my bees will be the pollen off the willow which may be as early as February.