witnessed a mating swarm

[Neonach]

With no other honeybees in this group of islands let alone locally, I suppose the only place for the bees to congregate for mating is right here in my own apiary. Indeed I have seen what probably was such an event, last year and the year before, but on each occasion I was otherwise occupied and didn't have the time to observe the detail - a great pity. I currently have two queenless colonies each with multiple queen cells (either grafted in or on frames removed from a donor hive) due to emerge this week. The two hives are at opposite corners of the garden - about 60m apart - so by now I'm hoping that each is aware of the other's presence and state! If the good summer weather continues - warm(ish) and relatively still - then it could be soon. But the weather here in the islands is rarely so calm for long - we're much further west than Jon is in Belfast, and on the SW point of the islands exposed to the Atlantic - so they'd better get on with it, especially if (if successful) the new growing colonies are to make the most of the upcoming heather season.