gavin

Biling

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It was biling this afternoon in Dundee ..... now that suddenly puts me in mind of some Marra.......



.... anyway .... it was biling in Dundee so after work I checked out two colonies in Dundee (having been kept away by a chest infection). The one on the western edge of Dundee was most impressive. It has built up to fill its box and was near wall-to-wall brood or stores. It looks like it is mostly Himalayan balsam coming in, and they were still busy as it was starting to get dark. This colony is going to do well I think, and at this site there are big areas of spring trees (sycamore, bird cherry) and lots of dandelions on the extensive roadside verges. It'll fill a super in April (what crazy optimism!). I had some box and frame rearranging to do, and they stung me in the groin for my trouble, just to show who's boss.

The other one in Dundee was also active late on and have brought in a lot of their winter feed, but isn't as big as the one mentioned above. These two have had one bucket of thymolated syrup to help their gut health overwinter as well as top up their stores a little.

Tomorrow I'll check out the colonies at the main apiary where most flitted to the heather. I know it is getting late but I hope to give them a bucket each of thymolated syrup for the same reason. If Nosema is an issue it may help protect them. However most came back heavy so they will not need much feeding. They're further from the Himalayan balsam so it will be good to see whether they've found any. I've heard stories of other apiaries nearer the Tay piling in the balsam.

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