Checking On my Girls in Prep for Winter aka Fall Hive Management

Well, Fall is finally here and we are hoping for a good rainy Winter.  After 5 years of drought here in California ... beekeeping has become a bit challenging.  What we have found is that the quantity and quality of the nectar is just not sustaining our honey bee colonies.  So many of my beekeeping friends have had to start feeding their bees early ... some as early as July.  

I just did a hive check of my 4 colonies today.  I have to admit I have been a *bad* queen bee ! My TreeTop Hive is very aggressive so I reduced them from 6 boxes down to 4 and will let them settle down.  

My Azores 1 Hive is doing great and reduced to 3 boxes.  My Azores 2 Hive is doing good and reduced to 3 boxes.  My Azores 3 Hive is 3 boxes and I will need to start feeding them a 2/1 sugar syrup with added HoneyBee Healthy.  

I have not harvested any honey this year.  In the 8+ years that I've been keeping honey bees this is the first year I haven't harvested.  I just knew it was going to be a hard year for them.