I finally got all the weeds from summer cut down and just about have the garden beds ready for winter. Still need to treat my beehive and put away the bee equipment, but I'm almost ready for winter. Starting this wknd, I'll be helping with the Apple Festival, our big annual blowout. After that, I'm not sure.

Well done!

What's involved in "treating" your beehive for winter?

heylisa : I have to check for general health, make sure they have enough honey, but not too much space to heat all winter. I have to treat them for varroa miles and they may be battling hive beetles. The hive was left alone all summer, so I have not checked on them since April

Interesting. I had no idea about what all is involved with bee-keeping.

heylisa : Before they got so many new pests (tracheal mites, varroa mites, etc.) you didn't have to do much. But now, they need constant attention. And you still loose about half your bees each winter.

how sad I had no idea. Thank you for educating me. I am always kind to the bees I meet. I try to be nice to the hornets and wasps, but they don't care.

hornets and wasps are hard to love. I'm sure they have their place, but make it far away from me. Honeybees have a real challenge these days: pesticides, weed killers, loss of usable flowers, climate change (especially wet,cold springs), tracheal mites, varroa mites, hive beetles, wax moth...... Many of these factors weren't an issue 100yrs ago.

I hope the hive grows healthy now that you are back home.