Don't Forget

All you Bee Buddies who can quite happily buzz on all day about honeybees.
Tomorrow 28th March is the 58th Annual Convention of the North of England Beekeepers.
"Bee Breeding and Selection" is the Colin Weightman Memorial Lecture.
QB and BrB are looking forward to the "Bee Photography" Talk.  You might find an improvement
in my pics. after this.

 These 2 Terrible Pics show honeybees in early Spring on Winter Aconites.  They were taken BEFORE the talk!!
I'll let you know how the Convention went.  QBzz

Sunday 15/3/15

Spring seemed to have sprung until today - 6C - Easterly wind.
QB checked the food situation in all 5 colonies - named White, Red, Blue, Silver, Lime.
I opened the mouseguards last week but rapidly closed them again when I found evidence
(odorous 'pee' puddles and nasty little black pellets) above the crown board in all hives
except White (much the strongest colony).
Lime and Silver have gone back into cluster and are not feeding.
The others are enjoying their candy treat and White colony has completely demolished
the Nektapol - so I have given them another block.
How to make polish + some flower pics. coming soon.
QB is struggling with her technology - AS USUAL!!!
QBBZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Queen Bee's out and about!

Yep!  QB has come out of hibernation after her long winter break.
Now is the tricky part.  There's not much pollen to help feed the early larvae.
Snowdrops, crocus, winter aconites OK but willow (very polleniferous!) is only just opening.
The W/NW wind today is cold and strong.  One or two honeybees are spring-cleaning.
The good news is that all 5 colonies are alive.
But ... if the weather stays cold the bees could use all their stores and could starve.
I have put 250g of candy above each feeder hole - as a "justincase". Nektapol is useful too.
Candy with pollen in it.  However once you start feeding this you must keep on, until the
colonies are flying strongly and there is plenty of pollen around.

Looking forward to HBKA visit to Chainbridge Honey Farm on May 10th.

But there's a lot to do before then. I'll keep you posted.
Next blog next week.
QBuzzzing