Saturday March the 28 th was a blustery and showery day for us, but after a successfully morning on the allotment, and a very enjoyable "All day breakfast" treat from Georgina I ventured over on my normal weekly winter check at the Corner Field Apiary.

The "Victoria" swarm looked fine  but in the "Anne" swarm" bees  had moved over from under the sugar syrup feeder to emerge from another and many had found there way in where they shouldn't and had drowned!

Urgent attention was needed. The bees were not impressed with me taking their top roof off and started buzzing about a bit. I walked away to decide what to do and this was to block the second exit. I returned thinking I could do this in a quick and easy operation. But the bees had other thoughts and I had my first stings ! three to be precise and this morning.

So I am typing with a fat earlobe, and lip and an itchy wrist!!

Disgression is the better part of valour, so I retreated home to get my suit and kit.

By the time I had returned back they had calmed down and I was able to put things right.

I also had a peek inside the "Mary" swarm, you will remember from my last blog that this one had had Nosema or disentry in the last few weeks, and I had thought they had been lost. but no! I was please to see a small swarm in the front left of the hive. So I was able to put some sugar syrup on and hopefully when the weather warms a little more . If the queen is still alive it will rapidly expand.

I will write again soon.

2015 A New Year and New Season!

I think this early March weekend is the first that the temperature has reached the magic 15 degrees for most of the middle of the day.

It has got to this dizzy height before and when it does some of the bees come out to have a fly around and go to the loo! But today things have made a step change. As I customarily do I called ahead to my Apeiry to say I was coming over and the nursury owner said there out and on my Crocuses!

I assumed she meant the bees and sure enough lots were. A lovely sight and I was thrilled to see two of the hives ( Victoria and Anne) were very busy but the third ( Mary) was less so. These bees had I think suffered a bought of Nosima. This may have taken a toll on there numbers and there was little I could do to help the situation. Bees were about from this hive, but noticeably fewer.

Now is quite a critical time as the queen will start laying, the swarm may start to stir, but at the same time the stores will be running out! To this end I have put some fondant on each hive that they can use until more spring flowers are out on bloom.

I have to start thinking about getting ready for the new season and is quite exciting!!

I will write again soon.