Bees Under Attack

On checking the apiery yesterday I was relieved to find all was well after the sugar dusting and showed no ill affects except that the number of wasps attacking required that I put on the mouse excluders and limitted access by corking up all unnessesary entrances.
The TbH with the eco floor under tray was even hosting the embrio stages of wasps nesting right underneath the hive and so I had to seal the undertray join with Gaffa Tape to provide a more effective block to their entrance way in.
The split carried out in June is much diminished in numbers and shows signs of the drones having been relagated to the space above the bars, whilst the brood nest is only on two of the combs. I saw the queen and she looks well enough, but I fear she may have been laying drones and is no longer viable.
I am now thinking of replacing her colony into the doner hive to help her survive the autumn and winter. Stores are plentiful and I have added candoline feed which is being devoured but no pollen is incoming to this split.

Sugar Coated Bees against Veroa

Today three of my four hives underwent the Powdered Sugar treatment. A dusting of pure icing sugar gently shaken over each side of every comb. Plenty took to the air but generally they underwent the proceedure in good spirit without too much complaint.
Wearing my top tunic veil and Marigold gloves I was not stung at all but the heat was in the region of 30degC and I had to retire before attempting to dust the fourth and final hive.

I shall not count the Veroa drop 'till later tomorrow.

Several of the combs were quite heavy with honey

Some flying while others entering still well coated in sugar powder

The mouse guard has been in place all year on this hive

Plenty of brood and lots of drones

This design hive is quite easy to manage without upsetting the bees much

The end follower boards blank off either end - heat loss here is minimised by the use of a 3/16 balsa wood lining