Monthly Beekeeping Tasks: November

 Thanks to our friends at Hivetool.com for the following which is specific to TN

Beekeeping Calendar of Management Practices: November

All tasks for the month

• Rake all leaves and dead grass away from the colony to prevent fire. Cut tall grass.
• Fence apiary to protect the colonies from livestock.
• Feed one gallon of a two to one sugar syrup with 7/8 teaspoon Fumidil-B.
• Check all tops to be sure they are waterproof.
• Place a weight on the outer cover to prevent the wind from blowing the top off the hive.
• Top ventilate all colonies. (Overwintering a Honey Bee Colony)

Mixing Fumidil-B

Dissolve seven-eighths teaspoon of the Fumidil-B in 1/3 cup of warm water. Stir until thoroughly dissolved.
Dissolve seven pounds of granulated sugar in 1¾ quarts of hot tap water. Add the 1/3 cup of thoroughly dissolved Fumidil-B to the sugar syrup.
Feed one gallon to the colony in February and one gallon in November.
Feed one gallon when you install a package, one gallon three weeks later and one gallon in November.

Feeding Bees with Hard Candy

The hard candy method is more work but reduces moisture problems associated with syrup feeding during the cold weather.
Preparing the candy
Ingredients:

12 pounds table sugar
1 ½ pounds honey
1 ¼ quart water
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Heat the water while adding the sugar and honey. Stir continuously until the mixture is liquid. Remove the spoon; do not stir, but continue to heat the mixture. Heat the boiling mixture to 238° F. Do not stir while cooking. When the temperature reaches 238° F, remove from the heat source and add the cream of tartar. Cool the mixture to 125° F and stir vigorously until the mixture becomes cloudy white. Pour the mixture into a rectangular cake pan or candy feeder box.
Candy molded in cake pan can be wrapped in wax paper and placed in the hive.
A candy feed box can be constructed from a piece of one-half inch plywood the size of an inner cover. A 1 ¼-inch rail is nailed around the perimeter of the plywood to make a tray. Nail 12 roofing nails into the inside bottom of the plywood tray to anchor the candy after it hardens.
Place the tray, candy-side down, over the bees. Cover the tray with the inner and outer covers.
So, there you have recommendations for this month. How many of us are doing all these things?  Feeding Fumadil-B?   How about candy boards - ever tried them?  This may be the year!