Today was bright and sunny and we are expecting a January thaw in the next few days. It is a perfect time to do a quick check on the bee colony and see where they are in the hive. Taking off the outer cover, and then the homosote board reveals the inner cover and the cluster of happy bees at the top of the hive! I was so glad to see them! I had worried and wondered since I tucked them in, in late November, and now I can see they are fine! They went into winter with a full, 10 frame deep box of honey for food, and since they are sitting at the top of it, I know it's time to give them some extra food to go into the next few months.
I took some plain white, dry sugar and sprinkled it around the inner cover hole, where the bees have easy access to it if they need it. This should be a sufficient source of food if they run out of the honey in the hive. I will check again in another month to see if it has been used,or if more is needed. In the next few days we should see them out taking a cleansing flight in the warm temperatures, and cleaning out the hive! So far, so good for my bee colony's first winter!
