chez
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Same tree ... different swarm :/Exactly a week after our Swarm Success (tm), we have had another hive go, in to exactly the same place as the last one.
Only this time they have lodged themselves further back and further up the tree stump, making it almost impossible to balance the nucleus box on the top; and it's REALLY blustery, which is making a) the suckers and small branches coming out of the top of the stump wave about like mad, so the box is difficult to balance and b) the bees pretty excited.
NOT a success this time - we've had two goes at getting them in the box - luckily a friend was here to help Arvo as I was beyond bunking him up the bank this time; we are both knackered, slightly grumpy and feeling very flat. And the bees are quite grumpy about it all, as well.
Salutary lesson in taking on more that one can handle I think - he went through all four hives in the week and put supers on each one, but he didn't feel confident going in to the brood chambers to see what was going on (because of the bee-phobia thing) - and to be honest, what would we have done if he had, not really knowing what he was looking for?
Any advice, anyone? We have another two hives, which haven't yet swarmed ... . We've been told not to worry too much about it, that we'll probably get a bit less (a lot less?) honey, and the positive side of it is that we end up with a new queen in the hive; but it does feel as if we are doing wrong by the bees somehow.
We went to the Montgomeryshire Beekeepers Meeting in the week and I've arranged to borrow a suit sized for pregnant ladies (or chaps with beer bellies  ), but I'm not getting it until the end of the month; and I don't have any more practical experience than Arvo has, just a lack of bee-phobia. We've also asked for the Bee Inspector to come out and have a look at the hives, to reassure us that they're healthy.
But generally - ugh! Not a very satisfying day :/.
(Although we did get some comb off the top of the brood chambers in the week, and the honey is FANTASTIC. Which does make us think it's worth persevering - it's just a bit overwhelming and we want to do the best by the bees)
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