An inspection of the colonies revealed that the bees had not drawn sufficient comb in each upper brood box to move to the second stage of the Bailey Comb exchange. The recent return of rain and cold weather has diminished activity both within and outside the hives.
We did prepare all the queen excluders and the two bailey frames, so we were ready to proceed, however this will probably be at the next apiary session on the 5th May 2018.
We also checked the varroa boards that had been installed last week, and found a very low count, so good news in terms of integrated pest management. The contact feeders were replenished, and despite a poor forecast for the early part of next week, we hope for the best.
Seven members attended, and despite the delay, continues to be a useful experience for new beekeepers.
We did prepare all the queen excluders and the two bailey frames, so we were ready to proceed, however this will probably be at the next apiary session on the 5th May 2018.
We also checked the varroa boards that had been installed last week, and found a very low count, so good news in terms of integrated pest management. The contact feeders were replenished, and despite a poor forecast for the early part of next week, we hope for the best.
Seven members attended, and despite the delay, continues to be a useful experience for new beekeepers.