I think my dad (the old codger) would've been pleased.
Edited to add: further joy in reporting my first sting-free inspection since May. I went in this morning - just to prove to myself I'm still an ok beekeeper :)
San-shi - bless them - were absolute pussycats. They barely moved around as I looked through and found a happy, functional, end-of-summer, Queen-right hive. I do worry though that their Super honey stores appear low and I wonder if they've been robbed blind by wasps, which may also have left them lacklustre and spent of energy. It's so hard to tell with bees ...
Itchy Knee - sadly - still has no Queen although, mysteriously, a torn down Queen Cell has appeared on Frame 7. They were furious, but - if they stung me at all - their stings did not make it through. Their varroa count was in the thousands, while San-Shi had only 160. Indications of better health? I do wish bees could talk ...
So I have moved San-Shi by One Yard, closer to Itchy Knee. Day by day over the next week I'll move it so that it's closer to Itchy Knee, with entrances aligned so that, if all goes to plan, I can unite the colonies and make them strong to go through winter.
I do wonder if it's wise though, to unite the grumpy ones with the peaceful ones. If only bees could talk .... lol!
San-shi - bless them - were absolute pussycats. They barely moved around as I looked through and found a happy, functional, end-of-summer, Queen-right hive. I do worry though that their Super honey stores appear low and I wonder if they've been robbed blind by wasps, which may also have left them lacklustre and spent of energy. It's so hard to tell with bees ...
Itchy Knee - sadly - still has no Queen although, mysteriously, a torn down Queen Cell has appeared on Frame 7. They were furious, but - if they stung me at all - their stings did not make it through. Their varroa count was in the thousands, while San-Shi had only 160. Indications of better health? I do wish bees could talk ...
So I have moved San-Shi by One Yard, closer to Itchy Knee. Day by day over the next week I'll move it so that it's closer to Itchy Knee, with entrances aligned so that, if all goes to plan, I can unite the colonies and make them strong to go through winter.
I do wonder if it's wise though, to unite the grumpy ones with the peaceful ones. If only bees could talk .... lol!
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