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Transferred a busy nuc to a full sized hive as it was nice and mild today. They were down to their last frame of stores so added a frame of stores, couple of frames of drawn and a couple of foundation. Saw the lovely ’queen of the suburbs’ mongrel which was nice.

7th April. Bees love a bank holiday.

Busiest day of the year so far with all hives bringing in lots of pollen from the abundance of blossom. Had left inspection boards in for a couple of weeks and this hive is looking good (it's on eight frames over eight). Quite a lot of varroa so am doing a series of vapes before the season...

Just watching all hives being dead busy and bringing in shed loads of pollen. Assembled a proper cedar hive that we acquired for free ready to move the nuc into when the weather looks more settled. Hopefully they’ll feel privileged compared to the other bees in their seconds.

The cherry (prunus) trees are starting to blossom across Ealing. Just need it to warm up a bit and then the bees will have a shed load of early season pollen.

Just watching lots of busy bees bringing in pollen today. Mostly almost white pollen and a couple of other varieties. Even the lazy mongrel nuc bees decided it was warm enough to come out. Was beginning to think there was a problem with them.

Watching the bees bring home their Xmas dinner. Clever girls as I can’t see any flowers anywhere.

Vaped all three hives. All busy bringing out the dead and having a good poo. Had a peak through the crownboards and all looking good so far.

Weighed the hives and they've consumed 5 and 6lbs respectively in the last 4 weeks. Ivy was over a few weeks back and plenty of bees and still brood present judging by the inspection boards. Both got well over 30lbs still. Still foraging and bringing back some pollen.

Haven’t spotted any down the road in Ealing. The girls are definitely making the most of the warm weather today though.

2019 was our first harvest from one hive and had enough for gifts and to keep a jar back, which we have done each year since. It’s starting to crystallise but not that much. By comparison, this years honey is the palest we have ever had but has an amazing zing to it.

Bought some 1st prize dark honey at the show, which is something I've never tried. Quite an odd taste, bit like a Fisherman’s Friend to begin with.

Took the Apivar off the two main hives and that’s them done now for winter. About 38lb and 47lb of stores and that’s without feeding and taking frames of stores out a few weeks back and replacing with foundation. Good ivy flow. The nuc needed a bit more of a feed. Wife got stung on the leg as...

Will be there with my wife on Friday. Don’t really need to buy anything but no doubt will. Keep an eye out for me and say hello. Photo attached but will leave the chicken at home.

Did a final inspection on main hives 1 & 2 to check queenright and move apivar strips. Both on 16 frames and rammed with bees, stores and brood. Hive 1 has 38lbs of stores and put on 10lbs in 2 weeks. Hive 2 has 45lbs of stores and put on 24lbs in 2 weeks. The bee traffic was like a sunny...

Took the last super frames out of freezer so now have 12 supers with drawn comb all wrapped up ready for next year. Did a 4th vape on the two main hives. We’re also looking after a late swarm for an elderly gentlemen who found it in a disused hive in his garden about 6 weeks back. They were in...

Chilling with the chooks and beer in the garden apiary and taking in the amazing smell of ivy nectar. Never had such a strong aroma like this in my (4 season) beekeeping career.

We half clear the freezer at this time of year and then freeze two supers worth of frames at a time whilst scraping and scorching the boxes. Leave them in the freezer for about 4 days and then back in the supers and wrapped and taped in thick bin liners. Has worked well for a few years but then...

Decent ivy flow now. Weighed the hives and they’ve put on a bit of weight in the last couple of weeks. Not enough that they won’t need feeding though.

Did vape no.2 through a hole in an eke but as I left the eke on after the first vape, they had built a lot of wild comb in the space. Good flow on at the minute with the waft of drying nectar coming from the hives. @Erichalfbee Do you put the eke on each time you vape from the top as that would...