The Lost Garden.

Having taken another beehive to the apiary yesterday evening, I felt obliged to go along today to make sure that the bees had settled in alright. While I was there, I checked how many varroa mites had been killed by the treatment given four days ago, only one of the four hives is actually being monitored and there was only one mite to show for the expensive medication which is sufficiently potent to be smelt if you are anywhere near one of the hives. That either means that the thymol treatment isn’t working or that there is a very low infestation; I suspect the latter as all four colonies were treated a few months ago with oxalic acid when they had no brood. The books recommend treating again during the winter when the colonies should be broodless again but they usually still have  a small quantity so, on this showing, I probably won’t bother.
 
While I was stumbling around in the dark last night, I noticed that my large storage box had been tipped over and its contents spilled out; it can only have happened in the last couple of days, but no damage was done other than the smoker fuel was damp from the rain. While I was blaming mindless vandalism, Herself suggested that the wind we had the other day probably blew it over. If the wind lifts the lid, it has a sail providing extra leverage, so I have now strapped the lid down and will turn the box around so that the wind blows the lid shut.
 
The Blip is of the fountain, which the gardeners want to restore to working order, it was originally gravity fed, with The Grand Staircase behind; it’s the iconic view of The Lost Garden and I may incorporate it in my honey labels.


I've just posted Wednesday’s, “The Hainings.”