December is the least active month in the calendar. The bees have been given a fondant supplement, and have been treated for the Varroa mite. The feeding will go on through Jan and early Feb until the air warms up again. If they don't want it they won't take it so no harm done providing some extra food. On a sunny day, they will pop out for a cleansing flight but will not be seen other than that.
It's a good time to move the hives about if needed. The 3-feet 3-mile rule does not apply as they have largely lost their corporate knowledge of where they are exactly. This is due to them being in a cluster for 3 months or so. In the Spring they will reorientate and the rule comes back into force.
I started the year with 5 hives and I ended with 8. Who knows what 2022 will bring? Hopefully, the bees will be able to socialise mask-free!
December marks the end of this blog about a year in the Apiary. I hope you found it interesting and perhaps it will stimulate you to think about keeping bees. The scientists are a little worried about how the human footprint is affecting honey bees. What is very well known is how important they are to pollination and the drastic effect on our economy if they were to be significantly wiped out. Do what you can to promote beekeeping and the environment general. I expect that by navigating here, you have joined the Greener Padbury Group, which is a great start!
