Storing Used Frames

Storage is perhaps the most overlooked challenge of beekeeping. Specifically, storing comb after it's removed from a hive can be daunting, with a number of pests (wax moths, small hive beetles, mice) quick to ruin the comb. To combat this, I threw together a frame storage rack last week. I'm testing it with about 20 frames of comb, but it should hold about 100; hopefully the sunlight, air space, and (eventually) freezing temperatures keep the frames in good shape until they're ready to go back into hives next spring.

Bees Working Cosmos Flowers

As goldenrod winds down here in Missouri, the bees are working cosmos sensation wildflowers. These flowers are foraged all year by bumble bees, butterflies, and other insects; but honey bees mostly avoid them in favor of other flowers. Bees' presence on the cosmos flowers suggests their food options have dwindled with the changing season.