An audio chat from beside the hive, varroa monitoring using CO2 and a bee has a good check on my bee suit. 

Adding supers, brood is booming. Mid summer check in.

A hot visit to the hive to check on the new colony’s growth. Sweaty but productive.

A Sunday visit to the hive. Now expanding nicely, plenty of brood, stores are steady. Hoping to start collecting some nectar for my jars soon!

Listen to the sounds of thousands of little feet scurry across the frames and drop pollen on the open mesh floor. Occasional squeaks and grumbles. I’ve got a new contact mic for absorbing these hidden and rarely heard sounds.

The colony is now across the majority of brood frames. Time for the 1st super. Maybe some honey this year after all. Weird to be back at the beginning after so long. Enjoying the process.

First visit since installing the nuc. All looking good. Gradually expanding into the full hive. No supercedure cells, feeding underway.

Dusting ourselves off and ready to start again. A Nuc has arrived and I’ve installed the bees ready to grow onwards. Exciting to be back in action.

I’ve sadly lost both my colonies over winter, despite my best efforts and usual practices. Time to evaluate, dust myself off and rebuild.

I visited the bees before `Christmas to check on food, monitor the entrances and waffle about my new creamed/soft set honey.