Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) did not yield as much honey as we hoped this autumn. It is interesting how the trees were flowering in both sites where we have hives, but only one site gave us honey. The soils and conditions can vary greatly and affect the secretion of nectar.
Now is the time to take boxes off the hives and leave them in doubles so that they can keep warm in the winter. The bees will have stored honey in the outside frames of the brood chamber and the area of brood will be restricted to the middle frames.
The super should also have stored honey and the bees should survive the winter well with ample supplies and be able to keep warm as they don’t have a large area to keep warm.