My first BeeLOG - scary!
I thought I would try and capture my observations and experiences as a beekeeper and record them here. Perhaps it will trigger some debate or merely provide some light entertainment as I continue to make agonisingly stupid decisions on occasion.
The last few weeks have been glorious in West Cornwall. The Hawthorn has been in full bloom and dandelion and gorse pollen is being hauled back into the hives in great quantities.
I've been busy checking for disease, replacing brood combs and changing entrances to provide easier access and increased ventilation for the expanding colonies.
I've completed my first inspections and am pleased to report that 85 of the 87 colonies that entered winter are healthy and expanding rapidly. Sadly 1 colony was lost due to varroa (I failed to treat them effectively post heart attack last September) and the other due to a queen who failed to mate properly. The latter was expected due to drone cappings and tossed out eggs being observed on the varroa floor during winter.
A few queens appear to be misfiring a little and 2 colonies have already replaced their queens by superceding.
2015 cumulative sting count = 0 (YAY!)
I thought I would try and capture my observations and experiences as a beekeeper and record them here. Perhaps it will trigger some debate or merely provide some light entertainment as I continue to make agonisingly stupid decisions on occasion.
The last few weeks have been glorious in West Cornwall. The Hawthorn has been in full bloom and dandelion and gorse pollen is being hauled back into the hives in great quantities.
I've been busy checking for disease, replacing brood combs and changing entrances to provide easier access and increased ventilation for the expanding colonies.
I've completed my first inspections and am pleased to report that 85 of the 87 colonies that entered winter are healthy and expanding rapidly. Sadly 1 colony was lost due to varroa (I failed to treat them effectively post heart attack last September) and the other due to a queen who failed to mate properly. The latter was expected due to drone cappings and tossed out eggs being observed on the varroa floor during winter.
A few queens appear to be misfiring a little and 2 colonies have already replaced their queens by superceding.
2015 cumulative sting count = 0 (YAY!)
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