The Manuka nectar season has ended, and the Manuka honey harvest is expected to yield about the same as an average year.  As the days pass, the sound of insects in the evening has become more prominent. In Japan, this might be referred to as the “Mid-Autumn Moon.”  On nights with the supermoon, when the moon is closest to the Earth, the dry, clear sky after continuous sunny weather makes it bright  enough to read a newspaper by moonlight.

As for the upcoming beekeeping tasks, the process will reverse from spring when the hive boxes were stacked up as the flowers began to bloom.  Gradually, the number of hive boxes will be reduced. As the temperature drops, the space inside the hives must be minimized. Finally,  the four- or five-box hives will be reduced to a single box in preparation for winter.

At this time of year, the temperature fluctuates significantly from day to day, so it’s important to carefully assess the condition of each colony  before removing the additional hive boxes (vertical boxes). This is necessary to maintain warmth inside the hives. For weaker colonies,  the extra boxes (stacked hive boxes) are removed. While daytime temperatures may be tolerable, nighttime temperatures drop sharply,  so it’s essential to reduce the bees’ living space to improve their ability to retain heat.

On the other hand, if the space is reduced too quickly for stronger colonies, they may become overcrowded, and such drastic changes  to their living environment could harm their health. During winter, the number of bees in each colony decreases dramatically, from  60,000 bees per colony during the nectar flow season to fewer than 10,000. This happens because the queen bee reduces egg-laying,  a natural response due to the decrease in nectar sources. At this time of year, temperatures can suddenly drop or rise to summer-like levels.  When air masses come from the south, the temperature drops rapidly.

Conversely, when air masses from the South Pacific near the equator move in, it becomes surprisingly warm. In Japan, this is known  as “Sankan-shion” (three cold days, four warm days), which refers to a weather pattern where, during winter, three consecutive cold days are  followed by four warmer days, with this cycle repeating every seven days. However, here, the current season is the exact opposite of that.  This makes adjusting the number of hive boxes particularly difficult depending on the year. If it gets too cold, the temperature inside the hive drops, causing the bees to lose energy, which can lead to various diseases due to weakened immunity.

On the other hand, if the bees become more active and the space inside the hive is too small, the internal temperature can rise, which increases  the risk of swarming, the worst-case scenario. Like any work involving nature, beekeeping requires constant communication with  the unpredictable forces of nature, demanding quick and sensitive responses. By continuously sensing the changes in nature and communicating with the bees through trial and error, we can produce high-quality Manuka honey.