Veg. Garden at end of April

Getting the puppy has caused me some delay in sowing and planting. I guess everything will catch up. The weather has been very dry but that downpour last Saturday did a lot of good - unfortunately the weeds enjoyed it too.
So to date - all  garlic and Autumn planted onion sets are coming on well.
Last week I planted the heat-treated onion sets - 3 varieties inc. red. I find onions from the heat treated sets don't go to seed.
Three varieties of sweet pea (I absolutely love sweet peas) are putting down roots but not really ready to climb yet.
Lady Christl (early potatoes), Desiree (red, main crop) and Kestrel (midseason) are all tucked up in their trenches, away from any late frosts.
Last Friday I planted the young Tenderstem Broccoli seedlings under the cloche. Here we have problems with voles and mice.
Next job, sow peas (Alderman) which climb to 6ft. Good crop.

 

Kangal Puppy

Dak - a rehomed youngster now 5 months old.
One day an angel; next day a little devil. We are working at getting him into the car now the dog bars are fitted. Also walking him short distances on the lead.  We've fitted him with a chest harness to reduce any pull on his neck. He seems to like the harness.
This hot weather is not enjoyed by this breed. We found with our previous Kangals (then called Anatolian Karabas) that they sought to lie in the shade on warm days. Dak is no exception.

Finally - all colonies ready for new season

Stone Colony today - probably my strongest.
Bees buzzing but not aggressive.
A warm afternoon - didn't use smoker - I think smoke can be quite disruptive.  This was a quick inspection, looking for brood, eggs, disease, stores.
This Q unmarked, laid on 2 shallow combs. Quite nice laying pattern.

All colonies clean, Qx in place, no sign of disease
Now we can get on with the season. Goodness only knows what is to come - the usual excitement I expect!
Summary: so far:
Yellow"H" - weak. 2shallow combs in deep brood box.
Red: Med. strength. 3 shallow combs capped brood/larvae/eggs in deep.
Yellow/Blue: Very strong. 3 deep combs of all stages brood.
Silver: Disappointingly weak. 1 shallow small qty. brood, some drone caps. Have we got a drone laying Q? Saw her - v. slim and v. black.
Stone: Very strong. 2 combs (shallow) of nice brood, all stages.  QBzzzzzzz 

Carry on inspections - every colony holds a different surprise!

Now onto the 3rd colony - I call it Blue/Yellow. This lot are very strong - a large no. of quite feisty bees. They cling to my veil with intent.
This Q. which I didn't see, but then this is not the purpose of this inspection,
has laid on 3 deep combs in the brood box. Very good.  No brood in top super. I put the brood box on the clean floor and gently brushed/shook the bees from each super frame into it.  You can never be sure in this first inspection where the Q might be.  Don't want her above the QX.

As for Red hive's 3 shallow combs of brood.  I chose to place them in the middle of the brood box below the QX.  If I had left them in the top super, previous experience tells me the bees might move up to keep the brood warm and fed, leaving the Q on her own in the broodbox.   Yes, it can happen and she dies!!  However, I need to keep an eye on these 3 shallow combs and when the Q gets laying well I will gradually move them to the edge and eventually replace them with deep comb.
Tomorrow Silver colony gets the treatment. 

First Inspection '19 - a risky business!!

The temperature over this Easter weekend is rising so good opportunity to check through all 5 colonies without risking chilling any brood (if any!!!).
Last Autumn I put an empty super box on each floorboard; then brood box (with brood and stores) above; then 10 comb super with rapid feeder (easier than contact feeder) above. No Q excluder.

The risk is that if I don't get into the Spring inspection before the Q starts
laying she will most likely lay in the top box - the super. Like this - Q in Red colony keen to get started.  I'll tell you what I did about this in my next Post.
Meanwhile, before I start on the first colony it's important to get everything ready. All clean , wooden parts blow torched to kill any pathogens, varroa eggs etc. Continued tomorrow. 
What would you do if you found brood in super at start of season, leave a comment below!

Snow in Spring/ Veg. Garden/ Bringing up a Kangal

This flowering cherry is humming today. My native honeybees really are hardy. I ventured out to plant my first early potatoes (Lady Christl) and got frozen!  Dak the Kangal pup, however, is not remotely affected by the cold.

sweet pea plants warmly tucked under plastic water bottles until the frosts go.

Snow in Spring is buzzing today

Happy Kangal pup (35kg!) cutting adult teeth

Forage Today

Bees very busy today so I checked the food situation - all OK so far

Crocus - very popular.

Eremurus (Winter aconite)

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All colonies are feeding on the Candy blocks that I gave them 2 weeks ago (in that very unseasonal warm spell). Not many dead bees on the varroa floor - good!!!

Queen Bee is back - follow my honeybee's progress week by week

A 2019 message to all Beekeepers/ gardeners/ new puppy owners.

Queen Bee has emerged from winter hibernation - so we're good to go!!
BEEKEEPERS
Here in North Northumberland there isn't much to report yet.
When the temp. reaches the dizzy heights of 12C the bees in all (5) hives
are out collecting pollen - willow, snowdrop, crocus, flowering cherry, aubretia, miniature daffodil, primrose.
It's far too cold to open the hives for the first serious inspection.

So to cheer you up here's Queen Bee at the Elsdon Village Fete last August!