Ok. Apologies for the radio silence. For those in the know, having going through a protracted divorce for the past few years and at the same time making a success of my new job, I've hardly had the time to post here, let alone log on and read anything on the forum.
After an appalling start to the year and my worst winter losses from 2011-2012 in nearly 20 years of keeping bees (lost 6 hives) I realised that the weather was against me and the bees early on last year. While I managed to get an increase of 1 colony, I also lost another in the spring and am now down to 5.
I put the fact that I managed to retain 5 by doing something I have never done in 20 years. Let alone beekeeping. I left them alone, to fend for themselves, and decided not to interfere with them in their struggles.
And so to 2013...a prolonged period of cold weather after the wettest autumn winter I've ever known, and the cold seems to be set in for a week or so at least. Snowdrops and early crocuses are out and the bees are flying in the brief spells of sunshine we've had.
Like you all, I'm crossing everything to a good spring and summer...roll on sunshine !!
regards
S
After an appalling start to the year and my worst winter losses from 2011-2012 in nearly 20 years of keeping bees (lost 6 hives) I realised that the weather was against me and the bees early on last year. While I managed to get an increase of 1 colony, I also lost another in the spring and am now down to 5.
I put the fact that I managed to retain 5 by doing something I have never done in 20 years. Let alone beekeeping. I left them alone, to fend for themselves, and decided not to interfere with them in their struggles.
And so to 2013...a prolonged period of cold weather after the wettest autumn winter I've ever known, and the cold seems to be set in for a week or so at least. Snowdrops and early crocuses are out and the bees are flying in the brief spells of sunshine we've had.
Like you all, I'm crossing everything to a good spring and summer...roll on sunshine !!
regards
S
