Hi everyone, as its now high summer I thought I should write again to say how the cornerfield is getting on. There has been several developments. First we have harvested more honey since I wrote last, another 7.5Lb this looks to be clear as the local oil seed rape is over and the “girls” are now on to flowers as places to collect their nectar.

We have also had to carry out an artificial swarm on Queen Anne as her hive was becoming very crowded the bees were not happy and had started to making quite a few queen cells. A sure sign that they are thinking of swarming. So we now have a new swarm, and although we have not seen her a new Queen “Elinor”.

Other wise the Queen Anne swarm is strong and with very busy!

On the second of our hives that came through the winter Queen Victoria , looked to be failing , I had been worried for some time, because although the swarm look healthy they were are not expanding, the appearance of three queen cells on the side and middle of a brood frame confirms that the bees agree and she must be dead, or failing and she is in the process of being superseded. Hope fully the next time I visit the queen will have hatched and will be off getting mated! This means probably no more honey from her as the season will be drawing to a close soon, but a new queen to end with is good for next year.

Last but not least I attended a bee inspectors course yesterday and in the process gave a lift to a much more experience keeper who said he had just collected a swarm and I could have it for my last vacant hive. So today I write to you has a very happy bunny!

I hope you are all well and I will write again soon.