Decided yesterday to check the bees and to put some new frames in for them following the main hive having swarmed on Sunday. Quite an experience if you havent seen it before! I was in the main garden and the bees are in the orchard and Gill with an understatement said 'I think you might want to check your bees theyre swarming'. Sure enough there was a loud buzzing and the orchard above the hives was black with bees.Once theyve decided they want to leg it then frankly they are off and there's nothing you can do. After about 30 mins or so they land and this time chose the holly tree in the orchard about 15 foot up....only about 10k of them! They seem to rest before choosing a place to go to. About 2 hours later I heard a buzzing from the kitchen and off they went over the garage across the garden and over the tall trees at the far side and off into the distance. Eric my bee mentor came up yesterday and the queen had left but the hive is still full of bees with a couple of queen cells where they are nurturing a new queen. In about two weeks the first will hatch and go around and kill the other queen cells. She will then leave the hive with some drones who are the males. They will have their wicked way or at least one will and she will return fertilised to the hive where the workers will remove the drone from her. I hope it was worth it because they throw him out of the hive and he dies! The queen then spends her days just laying eggs and eggs.Anyway Ive got about 50lb of honey in the main hive and have put some more frames in so hopefully may get another 25lb this month. The newer hive something has happened to the queen so it will be early August before we have a load of workers so Im not expecting anything from it this year just enough honey to get them through the winter with a bit of luck.There are some new queen cells so hopefully itll be game on shortly.
Anyway anyway there is a reason for me mentioning all this here bee stuff! I opened the hive about 6.30am yesterday morning to put the new frames in..all veiled up etc but the bees went spare!and despie the veil over my face I got stung 5 times ..twice on my chin, both cheeks and under my chin. Dont laugh but when Gill came home I looked like desperate dan! .. swoolen face jowelly neck and my jaw wouldnt open properly...how dramatic. This honey had better be worth it. Anyway speaking to Eric Miller my mentor he said u should never open them up before 10am since all the workers are in and the hive is full. Thx Eric I think Ive learned that one..laughter. Hey ho. I would have taken a picture of my large heed and posted it but it would frighten the children. I also had to go to the dentist for 8.30 am yesterday so went to have a filling redone and had to explain to the dentist why I had a malshaped head! I told him not to bother with the anaesthetic since my face was already frozen..dont panic he gave me some! I think the phrase is ..quite a sh*t start to the day....but it beats sitting in boring poxy meetings hearing the same old b*&&ocks! Anyway did some painting round the house today..a job thats been waiting for 2 years to do! Isnt time wonderful. Poor old Gill has done 55 hours already and its only Thursday!Thats all for now...does anyone ever read this...haha!
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