Those with the odd feisty hive learn to check their most angry colony at the end so the bees don't end up winding up the entire apiary. And it was as well I did as the last hive I checked today was a real pinger of a hive...but they are one of the strongest too.
Checked all the colonies, and intended to clip and mark the final queen I hadn't found...there she was, plump, enormous, and, another first for me...picked her up after removing my leather glove (wear marigolds underneath for this) and as I went to clip, she wriggled out and....TOOK FLIGHT
I have never see this ever before. I almost mistook her for a drone, but jumped up and she landed on my raised fist (think Diego Maradona jumping to handball in the 1986 world cup and you'll get the picture).
After this episode, she continued to run around on my glove, so I decided to call it a day and let her run back into the open brood box. Next time m'lady !
Ordered 2 new 14x12 brood bodies ready for demareeing the Polys, and that's another fun day over in the apiary !
Looking forward to the GBKA annual auction next Saturday 10th May
Checked all the colonies, and intended to clip and mark the final queen I hadn't found...there she was, plump, enormous, and, another first for me...picked her up after removing my leather glove (wear marigolds underneath for this) and as I went to clip, she wriggled out and....TOOK FLIGHT
I have never see this ever before. I almost mistook her for a drone, but jumped up and she landed on my raised fist (think Diego Maradona jumping to handball in the 1986 world cup and you'll get the picture).
After this episode, she continued to run around on my glove, so I decided to call it a day and let her run back into the open brood box. Next time m'lady !
Ordered 2 new 14x12 brood bodies ready for demareeing the Polys, and that's another fun day over in the apiary !
Looking forward to the GBKA annual auction next Saturday 10th May
