A quick look

             

A fantastic day, the Surfleet apiary was looking at its best.  The damson trees really are putting on a show.  Time for a quick look in the hives.

The hives are heaving with bees, masses of capped brood and supers on the way to being filled.

I don't think i have ever seen my hives so full at this time of the year.

Pollen

At the Surfleet apiary today, the damson trees are in full blossom and the bees are taking advantage of the early spring sunshine. The hives are almost under the trees, loads of forage and short journeys make for happy bees.

The weather is forecast to hold at 15 - 16C for the next 5 days, my new Queens start arriving in early April so for once everything is going to plan.

The farm apiary

A lovely day today, nice enough to quickly go through the hives at the farm apiary, first look of the year.  7 hives and bees flying from all of them and returning with huge pollen loads, always a good sign.
All went through the winter with a full super under the brood, no Q excluder.   Qs present and correct, worker capped brood, eggs and larvae in all 7 hives.
I will have to move a couple of the hives to the Ryefield apiary in the next week or so, 7 is too many for the farm site in the spring.  I was at the Surfleet apiary yesterday and the damson trees are in flower, the bees were so covered in pollen they looked as yellow as wasps.  I'll get some pictures for my next post.

The Wisbech connection

Turned out to be a nice day yesterday and a beekeeper who bought a couple of colonies off me two years ago needed a hand, so off to wisbech. All three of his colonies are huge, double broods, and they havn't been touched since autumn last year.
Took each one apart, tidied them up, marked a queen in one, moved the supers back on top with a queen excluder.
Returned home and still warm enough for me to go through the three colonies i have at the ryefield apiary.  All ok, smaller than i would like but in good order.

A good day

First inspection

Lovely day yesterday, about 18C and sunny.  Managed to go through the Surfleet apiary, 6 hives at the moment.  Moved the supers back on top of the hives and put the Q excluders back in.  All have made it through the winter, two are quite small and will go down to nucs on next inspection, one has brood on 7 frames and has fresh honey being stored already.  Generally a good day.
Judging by the numbers of bees in the air, i will be putting a couple of bait hives out next week,  early swarms i think might be possible.

Life in the apiary

Just when i thought spring was in the air, winter returns with a vengeance.  Little to do other than check and replace any hives low on fondant and continue to build nucs and hives for the orders coming in.  For me this is always the worst time of the year, very little going into the hives but the bees are becoming active and using up their stores.  Forecast is for better weather over the weekend and into next week.  I hope they are right