A sunny day in November

Last Saturday it was sunny and about 8 degrees in the middle of the day and we saw that some bees were out flying. Then we decided it was a good day to open the lids of the hives and do oxalic acid treatment. It must not be too cold when you open, because then the bees can freeze. It must also not be too hot because the bees must sit in a ball to do the treatment. Tricky situation at times and many decisions to make.

First, we went on a trip to Järbo bierdapps and bought oxalic acid and of course we bought a jar of their honey. We like to look at other people's jars and labels and try the quality of different honeys. We do "competitor analysis", smell, taste and check the consistency. Much like a wine tasting. Fun and good 😊

According to ecological principles, you can treat with oxalic acid in November or December against varroa mites and even if we hardly have any varroa, we will do a treatment. Don't want to risk an outbreak or some society dying from it. So to be kind to the bees and keep them healthy, we do it for their sake and honey should not be collected from the frames that are in the brood rooms. Sustainable beekeeping has many different things to consider and it should be good for everyone.

We open and check the hives. It looks good, the bees sit calmly in a ball and there are frames full of honey. We drip a few drops of treatment on the orb and then close the cups for good for this year.

Now it will be many months before it is spring and we will see all the beautiful bees again. Can't wait already 😊

Autumn greetings from Säljans Bigård