On Sunday I gave in to temptation. Seduced by thoughts of the Honey Show; of the idea of honey, dreamed-of for so long. Tempted by the "what if" I donned my suit, mixed up a tiny batch of white sugar in warm water and tiptoed down to the hive.
I smoked the hive box and quietly removed the roof and crownboard. I looked in to the super and saw no progress at all, beyond that little bit of foundation built up such a while ago on the middle frame. There were at least a thousand bees in the super yet again, propolising arbitrary corners or sitting quietly on frames without moving. I carefully removed the super and had to work really firmly to gently remove the queen excluder; the ladies have glued everything together very carefully.
Once the brood box was open to view, I found myself intensely intimidated by the sheer weight of bee numbers in there. Thousands upon thousands of bees gathered on the frames; I lifted one or two without shaking bees off and they layered onto every surface, buzzing gently. I managed to glimpse a few cells filled with fat white larvae. I did not even bother looking for 3-day early-stage eggs.
The bees have still not touched Frame 1 at all; it remains completely bare on both sides.
I didn't try to explore further. I simply replaced the queen excluder and carefully went to work on the super. I dabbed my gloved fingers into the sugar water and, holding up Frame 5, swept a thin layer across the empty, untouched side. I swept more layers of sugar water on the four central frames, and then replaced them all. I'm doing this in the hopes that it might tempt the bees to lick the sweet-flavoured surface and, in doing so, stimulate them to start actively working on the foundation surface, drawing out comb and making it ready for honey. I've read somewhere that this is a trick that might work to activate a honey flow ...
Closing up the hive, I spent some time once again just watching the bees' activities at the hive entrance. There are still bees flying in with pollen baskets fully loaded. They have been very, very active these last 10 days. Guy has moved our bird bath closer to the hive, and they seem to appreciate this position more. I've loaded the bird bath with dried grass so that they can land on to drink without the risk of drowning, and I've watched them do it. It works for them.
More than this, I guess I cannot do. There are only 10 days left to our local Association's Honey Show, and if the bees do not offer honey in time for this, I'm resigned to the fact that it wasn't meant to be.
I mustn't forget to keep putting the Sticky-Back Plastic boards down to monitor varroa over the next few weeks.
And I must remember to enjoy the end of the summer; the bees have only a few weeks left before bedding down for winter. And I want them to survive for me, for next year.
I mustn't forget to be patient ...
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