Where Is The Camera When You Need it : Supersedure

One colony last week had a laying queen and a single sealed queen cell which I dared to leave alone. Tonight the queen cell was gone and there before me was the old queen still laying and being courted. Almost next to her scurrying around and clearly feisty another queen! But on meeting the two seemed happy to accept each other. Mum is dark, daughter queen quite orange by comparison. I may be wrong but I am guessing in the weeks ahead mum disappears. We shall see and I will let you know.
This is only the second time I have seen this and I reached for my camera, what a picture! But I had not got my camera!! Never mind my phone takes good pictures, the phone I always carry- but tonight I had left on the bed at home!!!

R.J. Beekeeping: Please Think Outside The Box

R.J. Beekeeping: Please Think Outside The Box: "Reading the bee publications today left me with more mixed emotions. Please BBKA think outside the box, look at the alternative views, ideas..."

Please Think Outside The Box

Reading the bee publications today left me with more mixed emotions. Please BBKA think outside the box, look at the alternative views, ideas and ways. Get off your pedestal. "MITS"- the way forward (to my friend KP)!

Cost of Vandalism

Checking my bees at the site where I had some hives knocked over last week I found one queen (still there) who had stopped laying and another colony where the queen has gone and the colony appears in disarray. I am filled with sadness and anger.

Thoughts Of Winter!

Up dating my hive records tonight, I noticed that one colony had reduced it's brood size, a note of caution for the coming weeks; BUT looking back to July 2010 the records show that this colony peaked with brood by early July. From there on the brood size slowly reduced into autumn. then came winter. A chilling thought (no pun) that this is what lies ahead, the bee season is on the wane!

More Vandalism!

A quick check last night found 3 more hives, all with bees in, knocked over. What can anyone get out of doing such a thing??

Cut Comb; Yum Yum!

Time for supper me thinks. Fresh (White) bread, toasted and hot, real butter and quickly spoon on some cut comb honey. The wax melts and then spread the honey and consume whilst still warm-heaven! My lovely bees have produced me a good supply for the coming months. Anyway better go, I'm drooling at the thought.

Vandals!!

I arived at one site this morning to do my weekly inspections and was greeted by 3 nucleus boxes strewn and knocked over: fortunately 2 were empty, but the third has a colony in it. All around the other hives were bricks and stones and then by the vandalised hives I saw sticks. The bees, not happy, were wet from the rain; I only hope they showed their discontent to whoever did this!

Buzzing Around With Bees

I thoroughly enjoyed talking to people today at this event from Birmingham City Council; well done to Jan who organised a super event, which was well attended despite the weather (rain again KP!).

New Queens

On my inspections list today I had to check some hives to see if the new queens were laying and properly mated: after the season so far I was filled with trepidation.
There is no more beautiful site though than to see normal brood in all stages, and then catch site of the NEW queen herself. This was really good to see today, to blow away my other concerns!
One queen however decided to cause a stir by hiding on the crown board, then make her "appearance" as I closed up the hive and lead me a merry dance crawling over my hands; then taking a short flight down onto the top of the frames before disappearing down into her brood. Bit of a heart stopping moment!

Swarms

Much as I welcome yet another swarm into my garden today, after yesterday, I am beginning to run short of hives, and for that matter supers; as this latest one has set up in a stack of supers that would have gone out onto hives next week. How generous these local bee keepers are; but what are they being taught?!

Rose Bay Willowherb

Over the last week I have noticed this coming into flower. Only a couple of years ago I remember going on holiday to Dorset in August and seeing this plant come into flower there: so this is really early? Maybe a good thing as a source of income in a season of dearth, but what comes in August to maintain an income to the bees?