Hello from sunny N'ants

[MonseigneurBienvenu]

BeeJoyful, hi! They will have to stay there until at least weekend coming; it's not very treacherous, really, and, as a bonus, we can still mow the grass. There are various reasons for why I am leaving them (most are sensible), but they include the fact that I can eat breakfast (dinner and tea!) watching them.

Gilberdyke John, yes, foraged pollen . Some (a small minority, as far as I can make out) are coming back with white or yellow legs. Thank you for the concern though, the broken off bits were taken away straight away - they were already a little wet with honey.

 

[BeeJayBee]

BeeJoyful, hi! They will have to stay there until at least weekend coming; it's not very treacherous, really, and, as a bonus, we can still mow the grass. There are various reasons for why I am leaving them (most are sensible), but they include the fact that I can eat breakfast (dinner and tea!) watching them.

After that long it's likely they will see their current position as their permanent home, and will fly back there from wherever you move the box. You know about the 3ft/3mile 'rule'?

If you're going to move them down from wherever they are that needs a ladder ... the 3ft is in all directions, including up/down.

 

[MonseigneurBienvenu]

BeeJoyful, thank you, I am very well aware of the rules; they are not staying in my garden.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Oops, sorry about that. I obviously misread.

 

[MonseigneurBienvenu]

A small update! After another balancing-on-a-ladder session (this time standing on it on one lag and a knee, which worked remarkably well; brooding over my first swarm) I have figured out that the queen is laying! Well, I didn't really figure it out - I looked carefully, cursing the fact that the sun was in my eyes, and spotted some eggs. It was very exciting, my first egg-spot.

Now the difficulty.. It is only a two-and-a-half-frame (if I put all the bees on really compactly) sort of swarm, they've drawn out three full frames in the week, I only spotted eggs. I was hoping for a virgin, but with eggs around so soon, it surely can't be cast, can it? Within reasonable estimation. Must be an "old" queen (i.e. can be old or new, who knows).

Oh, well. At least it means their temperament shouldn't change, since she's established. Lovely bees.

Kind regards,

A