Still can't judge hive weight by heft, but struck me as quite a bit lighter than a week ago. Made a batch of fondant just in case. Warmish day and brief spell of sunshine so gowned up and took off top insulation and removed fondant tray from cut-out. Oh woe, tray full of bees and no fondant, but they look healthy enough, good! Smoked them back through the hole - they really didn't want to go - and dropped in another tray of fondant, better check weekly from now I reckon. Dismayed for a moment by what I thought were dozens of varroa on the white paving slab beneath, micro examination shows them all to be little specks of propolis. Relief. Half a dozen dead bees nearby, all healthy wings, so hope they're normal casualties for the time of year. OMF clear. I'm desperate to nurture these lovely bees through the Winter, just feels as if there's a long way to go yet, despite the daffs in flower!
