Feeding the Bees.

I was at Newbattle today to check on a couple of bee colonies with my pupil, but we found nothing untoward and carried out a basic manipulation to configure the hives for the winter. As I was leaving to go to a management meeting, these two young girls rushed over to ask my advice; their own mentor was indisposed and they were trying to muddle through by them selves. They were wanting to do the same task that we had just done so I started to explain; it had not been my intention to go near the hives as I didn't have my suit on, but the bees were so calm that I felt quite safe; would that mine were so well behaved at this time of the year. It is, of course, completely understandable that the bees should be tetchy just now; the brood in the hive is growing into the young bees that will survive the winter, they are special, they have the ability to store the fat that provides them with the energy needed for flying in the colder weather – not to mention keeping winter brood warm; the hive is also full of the food that will enable them to keep those fat stores topped up. Personally, I can tolerate them defending these vital resources.

Any road up, I left my tyro doing the heavy lifting for these charming young ladies. Newbattle teaches chivalry as well as bee keeping.