Preparing the Apiary for Winter
Colleen Rodgers
Happy Halloween from Harwinton Soap Company! The temperature is dropping here in Connecticut. The last bright leaves of autumn are being blown from the trees in great gusts, giving way to the coming chill of November. Today it’s time to close up the hives and prepare the apiary for winter!
We make sure to leave enough honey in the frames for the bees to feed on during the cold months. We also wrap the hives in tar paper for insulation. This year, we will be taking advantage of the bees “downtime” to make some improvements on the hive platform and moving the setup a few feet to a more sunny spot.
Looking back on this season, we are thankful to have harvested 70 lbs. of beautiful wildflower honey. This autumn, the honey is notably darker compared to the previous spring harvest. The taste is somewhat bolder compared to the sweet subtle flavor from the spring.
The different types of pollen the bees accumulate when foraging determine the color and flavor notes of the honey. As the seasonal crops in local gardens and farms change, so does the flavor.
