a lesson in not assuming seasons are the same in Africa
So, I'm wondering if the bees are winding down for Autumn? Less brood, less need for pollen? But then, they haven't got much honey stashed away at this point...
Right, inspected the hives again today and yesterday, now this thing about Autumn wind down............
Spoke to a beekeeper down Maseru way Monday and he showed me the convent hives - they harvested a few weeks ago, replaced the supers and he thinks they might get another harvest.
So, my hives - After some investigation I'm fairly confident that two are swarms from last September October time and the weakest a fairly new arrival
The strongest last month is even more chock a block - BIAS on six/seven frames as opposed to five/six last time, and they don't muck around with this brood arch nonsense in the middle of the nest here - wall to wall brood on the middle three frames
loads of stores and
loads of pollen.
The second best hive was still drawing out comb on five frames last month - now it is absolutely bursting. 6 frames BIAS 2 wall to wall and every available space packed with pollen and honey. I think these two would be thinking of swarming soon - well organised drone raising with each hive having half of one side of a frame towards the edge of the brood made up totally of drone brood. Luckily I've found the supers, the two are now supered with foundationed frames.
The last and weakest was struggling on two drawn frames last time (remember there's no foundation in the hives) it's getting better with a good pattern of brood on three frames and two of stores but hasn't started on the rest. Found the brood foundation though - someone's cut it down to super size!
We also pinched a blob of honey on the end of a hive tool for a taste - if you could market this you would be well away - superb, bursting with aroma and flowery flavour, you could almost see the flowers as you tasted the honey, I've never tasted anything like it.
But just goes to show you shouldn't assume the seasons work the same as us - even though you get snow and frozen waterfalls out here. Buddleja flowers in spring through to midsummer and in the convent gardens on Monday they were planting tomato seedlings outside in the garden.
My assistant, Peter got involved in his first inspection today - only had a veil for him and a pair of gloves that last saw service in Chernobyl, but he loved it and no histrionics, not even when he got a bee inside his veil - he just wandered quietly away a safe distance from the hive, took it off, shookthe bee out and came back to help me.
No gloves again for me today, and not one sting between us. I also didn't use smoke, but still, all the bees ended up on the outside of the hive - still haven't managed to spot the queen though!!
