Returning from a 2 week adventure on a canal boat the weather was superb and I felt slightly nervous as I approached the hive as I had been told they had been very active. You may have heard of PPPPPPP (Proper prior Planning Prevents XXXX Poor Performance), well in my haste for a quick 2 minute look see whilst the rest of the family were drinking tea on the patio I failed to follow my own rules and the bees caught me out. Smoking them nicely I was astounded to see the quantity of bees in the hive. This was no longer a quiet Nuc sized colony, although still very good natured they had filled every frame with brood and stores and needed space rapidly with hot dry days and many plants to visit.
Returning 48hrs later with a proper plan and all the equipment I might need and then some I conducted a full inspection prior to putting the first super on (I still have no idea why they are called a super!). Cursing my bottom bee space setup and plastic queen excluder I carefully took the frames out to see if I could spot the queen that had previously been marked. I had promised myself that I would remark her at some stage because I had been told the paint wears off … who knows? Anyhow not a sign of the lady, not really surprising as the colony seemed vast after the first few inspections and I was extremely pleased that I felt no panic unlike the observers who saw my suit covered in bees from afar!
Inspection complete and the hive was reassemble with the super in place with freshly built frames and crossed fingers.
No comments:
Post a Comment