Trog

I've never had to kipper Mull bees before. Usually a very light smoking at the entrance before I start and they ignore me as I take their home apart. On a bad day, maybe a little smoke every 3 frames or so. Today was a little different. The last inspections were 21 June, just before we went away, and since we got back it's been raining. Today was one of those 'will have to do the bees regardless' days. Two needed checking for mated queens, three for newly-mated queens still OK, and others for possible swarm control. With a see-sawing barometer, gales and rain promised for later (guess who's setting off on a two-week sailing trip tomorrow?), it was almost as un-ideal as a brewing thunderstorm.

To give the girls their due, they all allowed me to get to the third frame or so before registering their displeasure. This was fine for three small colonies as I only needed to see eggs and maybe brood in a good pattern before closing up. However, one lot appear to be replacing their new queen whose pattern is patchy with lots of random drone brood among worker brood, so I had to investigate a little further. Then to a colony with a new queen I needed to check for laying. They were quite numerous, all indoors, and bored. The eggs were right in the middle frames and although I got there as quickly and gently as I decently could, the girls were Not Amused. Although I smoked frames gently before removing, my gloves were picking up too many stings. There were bees everywhere, most of them heading for me at speed. I was reminded of the happy days when we learned the craft in Hampshire with the sorts of bees you sometimes had to walk half a mile to shake off! A sting through two layers to my knee made me decide that enough was enough - I can't afford a swollen knee if I'm meant to be crewing so had to head for the first aid cupboard! Having done the minimum necessary, I proceeded to kipper them to get them off the tops of the frames so I could get the queen excluder and super back on. Four colonies left to do and if I can't do them first thing tomorrow, Himself will have to.

All in all, though, it was an encouraging inspection. Persuading the girls to think about swarming early in May, rather than their usual practice of doing so about now, allowed the queens to get mated in the good weather before the summer holiday weather set in. The ones where things went a little bit wrong have had time to sort themselves out a second time and they will be strong well before the winter.