Winter Ready

I hadn't checked my hives since October, because there is nothing I can do at this point, and they are not handy to just drop in and look at. I got an email from the Kalamazoo bee club last week reminding us to make sure the hives were prepared for high winds, since one of their hives had been blown over in a recent windstorm. This picture shows our double story hive as it was when I left it. Notice I left the rock - the nice big, heavy rock - laying on the ground behind it! Because it is a double story hive and has a feeder on top it is VERY tall. I even have a step stool behind it so I can get to it! I was worried it blew over because it is so tall. I didn't even realize I had forgotten the rock! My son and I drove up a few days after receiving the email from the Bee Club. There was snow on the ground, but otherwise this hive looked just like this! The other hive was fine, too. I had put the rock back on that one. My son put the giant rock up on the hive and we left. I had forgotten my camera, so I couldn't get a picture. So, for now anyway, all is well. It must be protected from the winds well enough and also must have enough weight to hold it. Since the lid did not even blow off, I think the location must be sheltered enough. I will try to get over on mild days in the winter to see if there are any signs of life. Time will tell!