gavin

Nice to see so many people blogging ... including blogging novices! In fact this is my first ever blog too, so be gentle with me. In case folk are unsure, the idea is that you can - if you wish - record your thoughts here. Not so much points for discussion, more a diary that you are prepared to share with the online world. I'm starting with some observations today on what the bees are up to, and if you are good I might share with you a look at a dead hive at the weekend.

So, it was a lovely (if cold) sunny lunchtime. At the apiary (15 min from work) the bees were out in numbers. I'll look out a picture later from last summer to show you the site. Its grand!

Two small colonies died out earlier in the winter, leaving four occupied hives. I'm not blaming Bayer or mobile phones, foulbrood or even the BBKA: they were headed by duff queens raised in last May's poor weather. I think. And I didn't feed them adequately last summer until the visit of the inspectors when we saw one of them walking in slow motion, on the point of death. Not good for the man at the SBA with the diseases remit. Look out for more on these colonies at the weekend.

Of the four remaining, one was dangerously small when I last saw it a few weeks ago. It still is, but more than that it was out flying today and - as far as I can tell - ignoring its present of a rape super from last May, preferring to rob the one two along instead. Blighters! That's the Buckfast one Trog if you want to make anything of that. The robbed one will get a mesh floor with an entrance block next time I'm there.

Buckfast? Did he say Buckfast?!! Yes, one of a couple of Varroa-tolerant stocks from a friend further west, but as it wasn't *that* Varroa resistant I'll be requeening with a local mongrel or possibly even selected Amm look-alike this summer. Its weakness is an advantage in my eyes as it will be slow to go reproductive and so will contribute little to the local drone population.

The other three were flying well, and there were some bees bringing back an orangey yellow pollen which I'm virtually certain was coming from the plentiful snowdrops in the grounds. Great! The new season is underway, and it looks like my losses are less than I'd feared.