Polar vortex November 2014

Really? It's cold so early.
I went to the hives today with my stethoscope. Hive A, always the stronger one, was buzzing delightfully. That was the top box so the cluster is up there (where most of the honey should be).
But Hive B, I'm not so sure, was I just imagining a faint buzzing? And shouldn't it be louder even if they're in the second box?

Oh well, it looks like I'll be ordering at least one package come springtime.

Time will tell.

It's snowng lightly, supposed to get 2-3 inches today and it's 21degrees out and no sign of warming above 32 until a week from now.

November 9, 2014 - insulating the hives

Mark and Jon stacked straw around the hives yesterday and today. I'm still debating the whole tar paper wrapping thing but will just keep this windbreak for now.

New batteries in the fencer went in today too.
Here are my hives:

(if you look closely, you can see Doc staring at me, from the corral, wondering what I am up to).

And here are some of the deer on my game camera:

 Isn't he beautiful??

 These are the triplet fawns which have been spotted on our land by our neighbors all summer:

 Adorable little buck:

We are expecting our first major snow storm starting late tonight...stay tuned.

Ready for winter

Today is Saturday November 1st and three days ago, I pulled the feeder boxes. All I have to do now is get straw stacked around the hives.  The bottom boards are pulled out about halfway.