Imaging, interrupted

[JamesF]

I was getting myself sorted for a solar imaging run this morning when I realised I could hear a buzzing sound that was becoming louder as I listened. Temporarily abandoning my setting up I followed the source of the noise to watch as this settled into a patch of ivy:

I've not been expecting a swarm so early this year because of the long cold period we've had, so I rushed in and sorted out all my kit, got suited up and hopefully should have captured them in a box that I will shift into a hive this evening.

James

[Stargazer33]

So that's where all the bees have gone!

[JamesF]

They do seem to be significantly lower in numbers this year. Not just honey bees either -- I've seen so few bumble bees and solitary bees this year whereas normally our apple trees are covered in them.

James

[SnakeyJ]

Are these your existing bees going awol, or an unexpected/natural arrival?

Nice to see there are some nice healthy colonies out there, as I only seem to here doom and gloom stories via the news

[JamesF]

Are these your existing bees going awol, or an unexpected/natural arrival?

Unexpected, either way They could be from one of my hives. It's been a pig to keep on top of things this spring because I don't like opening the hives up when it's cold. It's not kind to the bees and they become far more aggressive than on a lovely warm afternoon. When they're all at home because it's too cold to be out it's dead easy to miss a queen cell too, because everything is just dripping with bees.

James

[SnakeyJ]

Either way congrats on the new arrivals and lets hope this is a good omen for the summer - far better than the ancient belief of binding and beating a cow to death to generate a new swarm (some random snatch of conversation from Radio 4 last week)