Successful year

I have enjoyed my bees this year and learnt a lot! I sold lots of my honey to friends and over 20 jars around the village. I found that nearly 50% of people that answered the doors bought a jar! I went down most of Martins Hill Lane and all of Whitehayes and some of Footners Lane. Several people wanted more later but I had sold out! I had over 90 pounds of Honey from Genesis hive. Negus and Trinity have just become established this year and so I would not expect to get any honey from them but maybe next year. I made the mistake of selling or giving away all  my stock and did not keep enough for myself and my family. I bought 3 more supers and a new Commercial brood box - Thorne's Cedar seconds flat packs. Each hive is now wrapped in wire mesh to try to protect them from woodpeckers.
Autumn has been very mild with the first really cold days did not arrive until mid November. This is good in some ways because numbers and brood would be around for longer but it also means that they will be eating into more of their stores. Still, each hive has a super of honey on top and the brood boxes are large. I will feed them some fondant in early January.