A rush job

Temperature: 15C
Weather: Warm and sunny
Stings: None

For the first time in months some proper beekeeping. I went along today thinking that all I would do was remove the feeder and have a quick look to see how they were doing. But it didn't quite go like that.

I took off the feeder and underneath theImage via Wikipedia bees were building out some comb. I cracked the crown board and wax was built on the top of the frames inside too. I'd bumped some of the cells while taking off the feeder and inside was nectar or sugar syrup. Not what I was expecting.

The warmer weather and blossom that has flowered everywhere looks like it has encouraged the to build up quickly this year. I was expecting that I would have another week before I started moving them to fresh comb. But I didn't.

So I rushed off to get a brood box full of foundation and semi-drawn comb that I'd got ready. I went back and put it on the colony to give them some room and something to do with all the wax they are creating.

I was worried about disturbing then so much but they were very well behaved, perhaps because the weather was so good lots of them were out foraging - when I turned up I saw loads of scouts hovering out the front on orientation flights. Even those that took off when I opened up the brood box happily went back in with a bit of smoke. A good day.

I'll admit now that this is a risk. If the weather turns bad then I'll have a colony with lots of work to do and nothing to do it with. And I'll have to return to using sugar syrup to get them going. Looking at the forecast I think I've got a week or so of good weather which, with all the forage there is around, should get them well set up. I just hope they've got no other surprises in store for me.

Clear cutting

Temperature: 9C
Weather: Grey cloud. Threatening rain.
Stings: None (but it was a near thing)

The weather got in the way of my plans today. I was going to start to move them around and get them drawing out fresh brood comb. But the weather was suddenly a lot colder and cloudier today and moving them around might not have gone well. I think I made a good choice because there were hardly any flying either. They were all tucked up in the hive. I did get in the way of a couple as I was cutting some weeds and brambles down and they were not happy about it. If the weather's better next week I'll start moving them around once I've had a good look at them.

Building up

Temperature: 10C
Weather: Warm! Sunny!
Stings: None

I went along today worried what I might find when cracked open the crown board. Its been a month since I fed the bees and since then the weather has been unremittingly cold. I was worried that the syrup would have spurred them to build up their numbers which would then crash as they could not get out and forage for food for all the baby bees. This is because the rate at which the queen lays is dependent on the amount of food coming in.

It doesn't look like that has happened. I counted bees on about 5 frames when I looked in, albeit quickly as the temperature was only just warm enough to support an inspection. I fed them again and that should keep them ticking along as the weather improves. Next week, depending on the weather, I might go for a full inspection. Then, or soon after, I'll start to get them on to fresh comb.

If I can this year I want to build up a reserve of honey-filled brood comb. That will make building up next year easier as they will be able to move to use that much more easily than it is to use syrup. I still don't know how good a spot they are in for honey but it has got to be pretty good as there are almost no other bees around to compete with.