First Hive Inspection Of The Year

With the sun shining we decided to get our suits on and inspect the hives. Always a little nervous after the winter as never sure how they've done. 

We were really pleased to see all three hives had survived the winter! And all three in good health.

I was a little worried as the one hive we had merged with another at the end of the summer (early autumn really) and I hadn't managed to get the second brood box off. But they had sorted themselves out. There was a tiny bit of mould in that hive on a few frames of honey, but only because some of the newspaper we had left between the two brood boxes remained and I think this stopped the airflow.

 It was great to see that my girls were just as enthusiastic as they were before, both keen to get into each hive and not showing any fear at all. 

I'm looking forward to a fun bee keeping season again this year!

Moving Beehives - But Not Far

 So The two hives that have bees in were set up very quickly last year when we caught the swarms. 

The weren't quite level or completely stable though. Nothing much, but enough to annoy me. 

I decided that as it was cooler and the bees were all in their hives I would put some slabs down and try to get them level and stable. 

I made three spots for two full hives and one empty one. I moved the one hive, just a few feet back, but the bees were not happy about it! So I've left moving the second one until I'm suited and giving them their treatment for varroa in a few days time, no point up setting them too much. 

It's a really nice area in the coppice where they are, and I think they should thrive there next year hopefully. 

Getting My First Bees

 So the last few weeks have been a bit wild for me. I don't think I've actually sat down in the last three weeks! 

My business has been really crazy, which is awesome. I've been trying to make as much as I can to make sure no one is disappointed. The other thing that's been filling my time is a bit of beekeeping. Not just from the training course every week, but I've also got some of my own bees now! 

So with a knock at the door it all properly began for me! 

The video explains it better than I'll probably write it so give it a watch. Hopefully makes for some good viewing!

Let me know what you think. 

Making a Bee Hive Stand - National Hive.

The bee keeping course I've signed myself up for starts in just a few weeks and I'm really looking forward to it. In the meantime my friend, who did the course last year, has bought herself a second hand hive and is getting ready for this years bee keeping.  

The set she bought was lacking one thing though - a stand. 

Warre Bee Hive

 During the first lockdown last year I decided that I needed a simple project to keep me creative, a project I'd wanted to do for a long time! - A beehive!

And more to the point a Warre Hive.