'Opening-Up' at Flitcham. 5th April 2008

1) The apiary with new stands and more hives

 

 

 

 

2) Keith Morgan (Season Bee Inspector) is brave enough to open one of his hives but wonders were everyone is…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Keith keeps Hawaiian Italian / Carniolan crosses in Modified Dadant hives. These tend to produce strong colonies but sometimes need feeding in winter. Here we see the remains of some fondant and a thriving colony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) The first hive in full flight...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5) Jill Tinsey starts the process of transferring the frames from one brood box to another. She shows us the queen and also sorts out the effects of uneven spacing of frames.

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) The queen has been found and the last few combs need close attention because spacing is awry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7) Job Done and the last few workers walk up the old floor and back into the hive, while an elegant piece of carpet is replaced to keep them warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8) And we all gather in the barn for sound words from our Bee Inspector