Hi all,
It's been a while since I posted here so I think it's time for an update. All three hives are fine and I stopped feeding the new one when I put a super on it.
So I have been doing a little high risk stump removal. My advice for anyone attempting this is: When a stray bit of bark hits a beehive....run.
Here is my ant proof hive stand experiment. Unfortunately the upside down black tray doesn't completely prevent ants, especially when they were already nesting under the bottom board. Maybe if I use more grease on it's underside of the tray it will be truly ant proof:
My new waterer is a partial success. I will replace the wooden platform with thicker timber because the stuff I used warped. Also a deeper bucket would not need to be filled as often:
So all in all things are pretty good. I am enjoying this part of year as I don't need to inspect the hives as frequently as in the spring.