Raining, have you prepared?

It’s started raining here in Sonoma county…we have checked on many of our girls, have you? As a way of explaining what you should at least consider doing, I will go over some of the things we do and encourage. Old tents do a great job of protecting new or weak hives. Although it may sound crazy to some, this is an excellent way to use old tents! Recycle and reuse is a phrase we know…try your own ideas.
We have a friend who uses hay bales to build a wall to protect his girls…sound silly? Think about it, wouldn’t you like a protection from the cold, hard nights? When it gets to rain, especially cold rain, you must do as much as you can to protect your girls! We use whatever we can find to help our girls in the rain…remember they need to get out regularly to “potty”, even when it’s cold and rainy!
I have seen sheets of plywood used, I have seen roofing material used, almost anything that you can think of to keep the rain off of the hives is a good thing. When a honeybee has a place to fly out and do a bit of exercise, it is definitely a good thing! I will be trying to get some photographs to give you ideas of how, what and why you should be doing for your girls…or at the least, pass the information on to any beekeepers you know.