I have a few of these this year. Disappointing. It has been - until recently - on the cold side so the early virgins may not have had the enjoyment they should have had. Extra royal jelly, thick rims to the cells, the area noticeably raised. Drone laying queen, no?

A few of the early queens made it, and others have only eggs so I'm crossing my fingers that they were fertilised in the warm weather in recent days.





Or am I wrong? However there was a very fine common spotted orchid in front of the hives to brighten the already quite bright day.