The Beehaus bees were put in quite late and though they are now covering eight frames I am aware that they will want to cover the rest of the brood box before going up into the supers. I am very doubtful this is going to happen and this was confirmed by Adam when he saw a video of the hive. I have to say I wasn't expecting to get any from this hive so I am just going to concentrate on getting them through the winter and give them as much feed as possible.
The National hive stands most hope as the frames are fully drawn now but they have only just started on the supers. They have drawn out a small section on most frames with a little bit of honey deposited but this isn't nearly enough for the one jar of honey.
They have some great stores in the brood box which is good to see and positive for the winter but I am worried the honey flow has well and truly stopped.
JULY 24
I'm feeling a bit frustrated about the lack of activity in the hives last week but I know I shouldn't. I have also been conscious that all the books suggest you check the bees every seven days. Today is the seventh day but I didn't get a chance to check them. I don't suppose it is too much of a problem as we are out of swarming season but I still feel like I have a responsibility there to keep an eye on them and make sure they are all right.
I must be feeling guilty subconsciously as well because last night I started sleep-talking. This is something I have done since childhood but thankfully I no longer sleepwalk. Last night I excelled myself and even managed a full-blown conversation with Jo. The topic was bees and not just any old bees but swarming ones. Apparently I was advising Jo that we had to be careful to keep them away from the hedge. Once I had given my pearls of wisdom I apparently just turned over and went back to sleep.
Thinking ahead to tomorrow, it is a really important inspection in my mind. The weather has been good and so I am really hoping that the bees have had a good spell this week and have drawn out more comb and deposited some honey. It's funny, several times this week I have found myself thinking about the bees and wondering what they were up to, nervous about the next inspection and whether they have been successful for me. I cannot imagine ending this year saying 'and so I ended the year with nothing'. Not really the outcome I would want.
JULY 26
I used to be a big fan of The Krypton Factor when I was younger. I loved sitting down on a Monday evening to tune in to the unflappable Gordon Burns putting people through the rigours of assault courses and other tests that included a mental agility test. I thought these were evil until I worked for the Ministry of Defence during a university placement year. I was in charge of testing military recruits on their physical and mental performance in a range of environments. I once had to put some poor, spotty and smelly teenage army recruits into an ice bath and hold them down in the water to prevent them from jumping right out again. They had to then complete some manual dexterity tests while answering simple questions. Though the trials were cruel and the data analysis tedious and rather monotonous (it did put me off a career in research science!) it was fascinating and you could see the effects of environmental conditions on the brain's ability to coordinate activity. I used to think these were the hardest tests you could ask someone to complete until I started beekeeping.
I have found the tasks I have to complete far harder than any drill instructor or Gordon Burns-type would have me doing. Halfway through my hive inspections on Sunday, memories of The Krypton Factor came flooding back as I struggled once again with the job of counting. The basic and yet fundamental task of counting frames with bees on, and secondly frames with brood on, is becoming a thorn in my side at each inspection. It sounds so easy, doesn't it? And yet with the added pressure of all the bees, I believe it would be the best test for the Ministry of Defence military recruits to test their mental awareness under a stressful situation. I would fail miserably.
As usual I had completed the Omlet hive with no problem at all and it was a dream. I had counted eight frames with bees on and six containing eggs and brood, which was a good sign. I had even got a little bit cocky and started stroking them as they were so calm. This is exactly as it sounds and you just run your hand down the centre of the frame. I must stop thinking they are a pet Labrador! The only sticky moment was the point I realised that I was subconsciously holding my breath hoping that I would see the queen. As soon as I saw her I let out a large sigh of relief while saying 'Hello Queenie!', obviously delighted that I had seen her. The exhalation of air was right on the bees and caused a frantic five minutes of activity as they suddenly realised I was there. It was like an mass exodus from the frame and the only bee left was the queen.