It is also time to think about the best way to store away all the stuff that we used during the summer.
Perhaps the biggest problem that we face is the problems that can be caused by the mice. Mice (or voles) can destroy frames of comb by chewing through them in search of food. The pollen that is mixed with or covered with honey is especially attractive to them. All of your equipment that is free of bees can be stored either inside or outside, as temperatures do not harm it. I prefer to store mine outside because I don't have room for the car in the garage if I include a few hives. Some beekeepers simply screen off the entrance with some hardware cloth that can keep mice out. One-fourth inch mesh works well for this and allows some ventilation to the hive.
Moisture in the hive can encourage the growth of mold so it is a good idea to get some air circulation going through the hive. Having dry supers is helpful as there is very little mold that forms during storage. Placing the supers above the inner cover of your active hive will allow the bees to clean them up and dry them out prior to storage. For ventilated storage a metal queen excluder placed on the bottom board will do quite well with all the supers stacked over it. It will keep the mice out and provide the needed air movement at the same time.
A lot of wind can take its toll on freshly drawn comb if it is very cold during the time that the wind is blowing. I have had a few covers blow off in previous winters and the frames that were on the top super had many places where the wind eroded the fresh comb that had been drawn a few months before. Most beekeepers know that wax is very fragile when it gets cold particularly the comb that has not been used a few times for raising brood. The stack of supers that falls over in the winter wind is very likely to sustain damage to the combs. If this happens care should be taken in the pick up to ensure that there is no extra damage is caused by the beekeeper. If you are going to do some winter maintenance on your hives and plan on getting them from outside storage later in the winter be sure to bring them in on a fairly mild day to avoid damaging the wax. There are advantages to the colder weather maintenance though... propolis removal is very easy as it pops right off when it is frozen.