RED, YELLOW, GREEN AND BLUE

Well what a week this has been. Let’s start with the bees, after all they are the reason we are here, literally!

The shook swarm I did with the Red Hive last week worked! I know I am guilty of overusing the exclamation mark but I think that statement deserved one. That poor queen, since the day she arrived has been, twice put up in to a brood box above her original one in the hope she would stay there and lay, and twice disappeared back down below. I don’t know how as I put on a queen excluder to stop her going down, but she has managed it. So twice, when inspecting the top brood box, I thought I had lost her, only to discover she had found her way back down below but still no sign of laying. So, if you remember, last week I gave up, interfered with nature and shook all the bees, including said “Houdini queen” in to the new box, (a very unconventional thing to do, to say the least, and not recommended), and I finally took the old brood box away.. sacrificing brood as the frames were a different size and wouldn’t fit in the new hive.

Oh what joy when I went in for a peek on Monday morning, there she was laying eggs, as happy as a queen be could be in a thriving hive of honeybees. The brood, already developing, and lots of lovely covered brood. Oh what glee, what joy, what bliss! I can only assume, from all this, is she was not a mated queen when she arrived and therefore was small enough to squeeze through the queen excluder. The drones in this area obviously took her fancy and we are off and running. Another exclamation mark coming up…. boom!

In the hive I took from my friend, the Yellow Hive, the queen has chewed her way out but as yet no sign of her. Early days. Patience is a word we teach “newbies” who are always so eager to see things happening. It can take six weeks from no queen to laying queen. I reckon, next hive inspection should see some results in that hive.

My original hive, the Green Hive, which I split, is going great guns. I have added another super - which means there are now three on there. If it needs another I may have to do an early spin of a couple of the supers as I am not tall enough to cope with four supers on the top! Also, I think it looks a bit wobbly and I worry about predators, deer, badgers, possibly knocking it over. The queen is laying and all is well.

Finally, the Blue Hive, which is the one I split from the the Green Hive, (i.e., artificial swarm) is still in the early stages as mentioned above. The queen has emerged but has as yet to do her orientation flight and then her mating flight. And, even then it will be a few more days before she starts laying. Another couple of weeks I think. It is about 2 weeks behind the Yellow Hive.

Lots to think about. We now have what we call the ‘June Gap’ which is when the Spring blossom fades and the summer blooms begin to appear. During this time I can keep an eye on the Yellow and Green hive and see how they develop. If they take off, ie., a prolific queen in each then I will leave well alone. If the queens or one of the queens is slow then it is better to unite them to make one strong hive. Better one strong hive than two weak ones. The weak ones will not produce much honey and a strong one, obviously will. If this happens I will offer a laying queen to a club members as a free laying queen can be a blessing to someone struggling.

So a successful week with the bees..

Just a note.. this image of a queen surrounded by her attendants is not one of mine. Having found the queen safe and sound in the Red Hive, I didn ‘t want to cause any more disruption to her and chance taking a photograph, I feel she has been through enough. This is a screen grab from google images.

THE BEE CENTRE

I love The Bee Centre in Preston. It is my second visit there and it’s always so enjoyable. It is a wonderful place. They are in the grounds of a beautiful Manor, Salmesbury Hall. They are a centre of excellence for bee-related education. They have a wonderful set up with a visual hive on the inside of the centre and their actual hives are in full view of the visitors so people can watch, through a huge window, a hive inspection while they explain what it is they are doing through loud speakers. I love the whole ethos. The couple that run it, Simon and Kath, together with their children who help are really warm and welcoming.

I set up a table with Betsie Valentine And The Honeybees at a craft fair they had organised as part of their World Bee Day Celebrations. All the stands were bee related apart from the Hedgehog which deserve a place anywhere they can and the Bonsai stand which was amazing. I didn’t just stay at my table, I wondered around chatting to people about the bees and assisted while Emma did a split hive on the outside and I explained what she was doing and why. The children and adults were all fascinated by the honeybees and it was such a great experience being able to show the children, who were fascinated by the visual hive both a waggle dance and an undertaker bee at work.

It was only 5.30 when we had finished so I decided tootle off to Blackpool which was only about 25 minutes from the hotel I was staying in. Nothing to do with bees but I had a wonderful time and thought I would share some of the photographs I took. Betsie and I left there having made our mark in the sands of Blackpool.

DYB DYB DYB - DOB DOB DOB

And so, upon my return I found myself with the 1st Fulmer Scout Group. Did you know DYB means Do Your Best and DOB means Do Our Best? I didn’t until last week. I always wondered and now I know! Akela (Derek Fulmer) booked me to give a talk and bought 16 copies before I even arrived. The Scouts were lovely and the talk went very well. I signed all their books and then the next day I received this email from Derek.

Hello Meriet,

The Cubs just loved the evening. My sons are all abuzz with the facts and stories. As I write this Owen has his head in your book and Loic is looking into buying a hive. 

It was an educational, entertaining and wonderful evening. The Cubs will have a whole new appreciation for bees and just how challenging a life they lead. Certainly opens one’s eyes to the nature that surrounds us. 

Thank you for the time and energy you put into the evening. 

Well.. it doesn’t come better than that.

IN THE GARDEN

Wednesday took me to Chestnut Lane School in Amersham. It was a beautiful morning and the teacher who had organised my visit asked me if I would mind giving the talk outside in the Children’s Garden. This was a first and hopefully will not be a last. It was an inspired idea and we were even joined by a couple of honeybees. It didn’t take them long to smell the wax which had the delicious scent of the remains of honey on it. As soon as I realised this was attracting them I tucked it away asap and off they buzzed. It was actually quite an interesting moment because when the honeybees appeared a couple of the children, understandably, became concerned, however with the help of the teachers who were listening to the talk we allayed their fears and assured them that the honeybees were not interested in them but the wax on the table. I told them not to make any sudden movements as they flew past and the honeybees would ignore them and ignore them they did. This was helpful to actually point out to them that honeybees are too busy to wonder what you are doing in their garden, they are on a mission to collect nectar and pollen to take back to their hive! It worked - the children saw it for themselves! Pictures from the talk to follow soon I hope. Again I received a lovely email from the Headmistress saying that the children were still buzzing in assembly the following morning.

WATFORD OBSERVER

Finally, a great end to another great week which has seen me getting emails every day requesting honeybee talks and all this is before the article below in the Watford Observer.

PS.. Tobi is home from his tour in America so I have the microphone back. A Pod Cast will be recorded and put up as soon as I can find a spare moment in this busy buzzy time I am so enjoying.