For no particular reason I take the bee keeping season to start on 1st March. However its raining so I don't expect the girls to be out today and it may be a while before I start to have a look inside.
I don't really make formal New Year or New Season Resolutions but this year I hope to:-
- get the Top Bar Hive up and running. The hive has been repaired and I have a package of bees arriving in April. 'Proper' bee keepers are a bit unkind about them but I think they are interesting if a bit impractical.
- have a proper attempt at queen rearing. Some of the queens in Scald End will need to be replaced this year. I could just buy them but I would prefer to rear my own and I have a likely candidate for the production of the new queens.
- Find out a bit more about solitary bees and bumblebees. Incidentally could Emily Bee email me through the contact page, I have some information for her.
- be more vigilant with wasps. I lost three last year which was an exceptional year but I don't want it to happen again. Reading the bee keeping forums [fora?} there is a wasp catching system that is much more effective than the lemonade bottle thing I normally use.
- Stop being stupid. A bit optimistic this but I really must prepare myself properly for inspections. In the Summer I often check the hives in shorts and flip flops and a half suite which I don't do up properly with predictable results, This year it will be full length suite, wellies and gauntlets.
- Don't rant so much when doing the blog. It'll never happen.
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