HI Skegs,
I took my super off in early April and up until a few weeks ago was regretting it. There were at least 4 species of Eucalyptus trees flowering and a stack of Gevilliea and all the Leptospermums started flowering again. We were having warmish sunny days and the bees were so busy. Then the cold and rain hit, 3 weeks or so back… The bees are still out when its not raining hard or it is not too cold. Some cold days (max temp 13 deg C) even though it not raining very few bees are seen outside the hive. I believe I have a strong hive now and do not regret one bit taking the super away. I don’t see the weather improving for some time yet.
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I think your spot will work particularly for Perth’s hot Summers… In Winter you would need to keep an eye on condensation but if you search the forum you will find good advice on humidity and condensation.
You will see seemingly conflicting answers but you will identify with your situation a choose to follow the correct advice for you.
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Hi skeggley
I reduced to 2 boxes late May. However, upon checking it 2 weeks after, the top box was full of honey. So i harvested 4 frames and when i returned the stickies, i added the third box with a few more foundation frames.
I have also reduced the entrance by 70%. Plenty of activities during the day and like many, the bees were returning with plenty of pollen and nectar.
Will be checking the hives this Sunday and will update then. Cheers
@Philat39 as a separate comment…safety.
When you put your hive in that spot and when it comes time to do your inspections make sure you’ve got a bucket of water with you. Dry leaves go up in flames quite easily in summer, and your smoker could easily be the cause if it gets knocked over or an ember gets blown out
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@aaron_y if you take any pics could you post a few given its a winter inspection? I’d be curious to see brood laying patterns if you go all the way into the brood box.
Thanks
Hi Alan
Good advice on slapping the extra box for space in mid Aug. Going thru my first winter and like many others have said, each situation is different and we will need to choose what is best for ourselves.
Trying out with 3 boxes on 2 hives as the number of bees were incredible. Another 2 hives with 2 box set up
Hi Alan
As I’m checking the hives alone, taking picts will be last on my priority. LOL But will try next time
I have removed the QE and the QB seem to be laying in the 2nd box and it was being laid in a moon shape. The top portion were pollen and honey and the half moon full of brood
As I sit here on a Friday afternoon avoiding what might resemble work I decided to take a look at activity on different threads/topics on this forum…
Sorted by replies (to help indicate activity/responsiveness/engagement)
It seems us beeks in WA are pretty sociable and willing to help each other with advice and general discussion, which is absolutely fantastic 
So…thanks to everyone who is here I hope it continues, I know I enjoy the forum and the contributions people make.
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I always enjoy the WA exchange. I guess your sociability stems from being so isolated over in the West and in this world you guys are a small community with its own state laws.
It doesn’t prevent others to join your communications or the other way around.
You are special you WAns. 
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Dear Perthians
It is pouring in Kewdale where I work. I have been feeding my girls since the rains started but stopped yesterday when I thought the sun would be out.
Has anyone else been feeding?
Have not fed once. In the suburbs of Perth I don’t actually understand why there would be a need to feed. Even when I established my hive (nuc - 4 frames) the other year (late Feb) I didn’t feed at all during Autumn or Winter. I packed them down, let them bee, and reaped the rewards come spring.
With banksia’s, acacia’s, callistemon’s, and the odd eucalypt (still), plus a plethora of garden plants and other natives, I personally don’t see a pressing need to feed during our cooler months.
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The heavens opened here in the hills, flooded to the front door. When I got home from work I checked the hives to see if they got flooded out. I tipped them forward to see if water came out of the entrance, fortunately it didn’t but in the process I checked the weight of the box and they are still quite heavy so I’ve no need to feed. Since I started keeping bees I’ve found it necessary to feed in the summertime, I learned the hard way unfortunately. A colony without stores is surprisingly light. Too much flowering here to be too conscerned. When the sun does poke it’s head out the bees are out in force returning loaded up for the next rain spell.
Last spring it rained and rained and rained and the first fine day one of my colonys swarmed so I’m hoping we get a fine day this weekend to do some overdue inspecting, I don’t want to get caught out again.
With all the eucalypts up here flowering for the second time this year I’m worried how this summer will fare.
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@skeggley what have you found influences your need to feed in summer the most or is it something you have to do every summer during a certain period?
From memory you’re up in the hills so I’m guessing neighbours are a bit more then arms length away and your variety of plants is predominantly bushland and not suburban garden?
Hiya Snowy, yes you are correct, I can swing a cat in the backyard and it is predominantly Aussie bush around the area.
Having kept bees for 2 summers now and losing one colony the first summer and nearly losing one last summer I’m cautious. Last summer when we had record rainfall the 3 or 4 days of rain led one colony to starve almost to death by consuming their stores in that period. I fed the survivors hoping the queen had survived and fortunately she did and once again they are a sizeable, healthy colony.
At the same time of year my friends down in Mt Lawley were harvesting (traditionally) fortnightly…
I am now trialling using a wsp on each hive above a qx as a permanent store which reduced my honey harvest but hopefully will alleviate future stores issues.
By all reports the last two years have been poor years for honey production where the native bushland is the primary nectar source. Heaps of pollen I might add but one cannot live on bread alone. 
I find the flatland honey very florally in taste probably from the mix of forage.
Hopefully this spring and summer fares better for G’s Bees and our Hills Honey.
Most of my harvested honey is crystallising now too. Why doesn’t shop bought honey crystallise?
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Because they adulterate it with fructose syrup… 
I have frozen some of my harvest. That will stop the crystallization until it is defrosted, then I will have a month or 4 to use it before it solidifies. 
I think Jack @Semaphore’s mother used the same trick for her prize-winning honey.
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she does indeed- and last year she entered it into the Royal Show directly out of the freezer- won a ribbon- and then just two days later the honey had candied in the jar whilst still on display at the show…
I had a 3 KG bucket of honey that has candied - and it has pretty much candied straight into creamed honey- the crystals are so small. It did it all by itself. It’s superb!
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@skeggley thanks…and good info. I’ve been looking at properties and land around Gidgegannup/Chidlow/Baskerville so if dreams ever become reality I’ll have to keep summer feeding in mind.
It takes about 10months for my honey to start to crystallise, so I’m content with that. The stuff I give away gets eaten before it crystallises usually but I kept a jar of my first ever harvest 
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I don’t mind crystallized honey because you can get a huge chunk on a spoon and straight in the mouth.
Surprising how fast a container empties. 
I did read somewhere (probably one of @Dawn_SD’s gems) that honey with a water content below 16% will crystalize more quickly than that above. The ideal range 16-18%. is what I would like to harvest. Also some flower nectar is pre disposed to crystalize. I will find some references over next day or so. Just back from a week in Kalgoorlie to see the Grandie.
Just as an aside none of the Marri honey I collected last March has or even looks like crystallizing and it had a water content mostly between 18 and 19%.
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Can anyone advise me as to whether it is alright to put WSP frames into a flow hive. I can acquire a nuc hive with WSP frames now.