November 18, 2014. And so, it has come to this.

This is November 18 in West Michigan, our first winter storm of the season. Luckily about two weeks ago, I winterized the hives.  I placed a queen excluder over the top box.  I did this so I can put sugar bricks on later in the winter if needed. Mel Disselkoen's book OTS Queen Rearing has a great recipe with instructions for making the sugar bricks. I have an empty shell on top of the excluder with an upper entrance. The lower entrance is still available, although if this snow keeps up I will be going out often to clear the snow from lower entrances.  I also wrapped each hive with tar paper. Only thirteen days ago there were bees flying and even bringing in pollen.  I have no idea where they were getting pollen from on November 5. For now, I have to be content with putting my ear up to the side of the boxes and listening for the faint hum of the cluster inside.



October 2014, taken a month before the picture above.