For the Apiary in Spring Time

The recent long spell of fine weather has given the bees a real boost.

Today was the day to start increasing the volume of each  hive so that the bees are not over crowded and have plenty of room to store honey.

So here you see an extra box, called a super,  being added on top of each hive.

It is also the first time in the year that one can have a quick peek at the bees themselves just to check that all is well.  It is at this moment that one discovers whether or not all the colonies have survived the winter.

I always anticipate that one or two colonies will not survive the winter. For this reason I usually have a spare colony.  All the colonies have survived so in theory I now have a surplus colony of bees that I could give away.

I am always a little sad when a colony does not make it and there are many potential reasons for its failure. I don't dwell on it too long because I know that the colony was well fed in the autumn and it has certainly not died of starvation.