All things considered

Well they didn't do too badly in the end, despite the colony being queenless early on, then swarming managed a reasonable haul, could have been a lot more honey if I had put the right frames in the hive, hence the honeycomb this year! It's supposed to be nice with vanilla ice cream, will let you know :)

There's an outside chance I might get a bit more as one super is still on hive, but it's getting a bit late in the season and if I leave them what they have foraged it should tide them over until spring.

Well I'll Bee

ok ok, I know I haven't written much lately, to be honest had become a bit disenchanted with keeping bees, it just seemed to be open problem after another and with the demise of my queen a month or so back and the colony dipping into decline quickly I really thought I might give up this year.

Then surprise surprise I noticed the ladies were getting active, I checked hive a few weekends ago and they seemed on the up, still couldn't find the queen, think I have gone queen blind! Yesterday checked them again, wow had to be 50,000 plus bees in there and honey stores too, so have had to add another super box, who knows I could get some honey this year after two years of honey drought, an August harvest just in time for Steph and Russ's wedding, that's the wedding prezzie sorted :)

On the downside these are very aggressive bees, I now have to water my bonsai which are behind the hive in late evening, they've already strung me twice and chased me back into house on numerous occasions! She must be a violent queen, but I read somewhere that aggressive bees are productive bees, she can stay for this year, but next year there will be some regicide if she doesn't mend her ways!

2nd super added and beware attack bees!

It's bee weather and boy are they confused yet again!

The sun is out for the second day running and bees are busy, there are some flowers out there so will be food to find, but better to get them a quick feed of sugar syrup.

It's been to say the least another strange winter, very mild but wet, two things that can really mess up a bee colony, having lost my colonies the last two winters I was a bit nervous as to what I would find, allow though on the plus side we have had no cold snaps with snow, famous last words, plenty of time yet!

It's been ages since I have written a blog so thought should record the event by taking a time lapse video with my new app on I Phone.

What I want to know is it only me that is having strange experiences with their bees? Having left a super on of stores for them over the winter with no queen excluder in I was worried that the queen might have started laying in the super, but fears allayed super was almost empty of stores and no sign of queen activity, although they had started to create new honey stores up there. I bit of a risk but decided I will put queen excluder in when closing up hive, risk is that colony move up and leave the queen behind to get caught in a cold spell.

Once into the brood box was time to make sure I found the queen so I don't unknowingly leave the queen up in the super! Signs were looking good worker brood present, so she is laying, stores a bit on the light side so a feed definitely necessary, (mental note must pop to Waitrose for more castor sugar, only the best for my bees, or is it because I am lazy and Waitrose almost next door? Roll on Liddle being built nearby, ok mind is wandering!).

And then I found her, phew always a relief, and then SHOCK HORROR! I found another queen, why me? A quick double check and yes I have two queens, on frames next to each other, so are they both laying? Why hasn't one killed the other? This means they have lived all winter together side by side in harmony, queens just don't do that.

So now the conundrum what do I do? It's early March and we are far from clear of the cold weather, will one of them swarm and wreck another season on honey production? Should I split them and create a new colony, are they both laying? Why is life so complicated!

Hey ho at least it's interesting!