Aussie Mike's Bees Winter Update

Winter Time - Conference Season and the bees are meant to be bunkered down, but they're out there bringing in the pollen. Mike does a short update on how things are going.

[@bennybeekeeper]

Thanks! Good to see your hives

[@AussieMikesBees]

Thanks, Benny. It's good to see them all active even when it's not so warm. Bringing in pollen and nectar.

[@Triple-HHH-Honeybee-Farm]

Glad to see your doing well! Looking forward to your videos!

[@AussieMikesBees]

Thanks, Hank. Much appreciated.

[@anthfoxx6298]

Mike, keep the videos coming, No sign of varroa mites here in Melbourne victoria yet although we are studying all the information on treatments for when the inevitable happens, Regards Anton

[@AussieMikesBees]

Thanks, Anton. I talked with a lot of Victorian apiarists at the VAA conference. The VDOs that were there are high calibre beekeepers. You're in good hands. I know they're saying Varroa isn't in VIC and QLD yet, but I think that's a fantasy. You'll be seeing the first detections in Spring. Alcohol wash for detection is next to useless.
I'll make more effort to produce videos. Life's been full on lately. I'm a Varroa Response contract trainer for NSW. There's quite a few workshops to get through.
Cheers,
Mike

[@grantjackson3951]

Just a heads up still have queen excluders on a few of your hives

[@AussieMikesBees]

Well spotted, Grant. I’m blessed with mild winters here and have never remove the queen excluders. The queen only stops laying for a week or two if ever. There’s usually brood on the middle three or four frames and the remaining frames are filled with some pollen and mostly honey. They cluster on the coldest nights (rarely subzero), when I’ve checked with my IR camera. Daytime, it’s business as usual, bringing in nectar and pollen.