Holidays, vacation, sunflower season - for the garden beekeeper, relaxation is the number one priority.

The time of great heat and dryness is over. 7 weeks after the summer solstice the days are getting noticeably shorter again.

While the summer is still very present for us, the bees have long since begun their winter preparations: The swarming period is over, so the weekly inspection of the colonies, where every comb is pulled, or any other intervention of the bees is no longer necessary. The bees set up their winter residence independently.

The colonies are now alternately fed with sugar syrup and treated with formic acid against the varroa mite. These measures are intended to ensure that the colonies go into winter strong and healthy, survive the long cold season without major losses, and develop into powerful economic colonies the following spring.

However, there are still many flowering plants in the surrounding gardens. The bees fly over them intensively, but still search for usable food in every corner and sometimes even get lost in the house. This is a clear indication that the many flowers are not very productive.

In the meantime, the garden beekeeper's son has shown a lasting interest in working with the bees and with his steady hand, he takes over work on the colonies again and again.