Is there anything that needs to be done to the Hiive for the coming winter? I did not remove any comb from the honey room. Will it be OK to leave that accessible to the hive? Thanks!
Hi Saluki,
It would have been most advantageous not to set up a honey super in this first year, allowing the bees to establish their entire foundation in the brood chamber. The honey super also affects the airflow inside the hive during winter. The space where the honey super is usually placed can also be used for additional insulation in winter. That said, it’s always best for the bees to overwinter with their own honey, so just give it a try. 
One important thing for the winter: Make sure the red storm straps are securely anchored in the ground, as you never know when the next storm might hit in autumn or winter.
kind regads
Jochen
Thank you, Jochen. Do you know the diameter of the storm strap rope that was included in the original order? One of mine is almost worn through, so I would like to have some spare supply available.
The original ropes are not UV-resistant and have crumbled in my case
Ahhh, that makes total sense. One of mine is in shaded and looks fine, and another one in full sun is trashed.
I also had the problem with the ropes, that they did not resist the sun light. I just replaced them with 3mm paracord. Worked good for me 