Day One of Novice Bee Keeping.

Day one of novice bee keeping. I went out to find 8 or so bees on their backs on top of the hive struggling. So I used leaves to help them get upright and spoke to my mentor. Apparently at this time of year the summer bees are very weak and dying off. So at least it wasn't anything I'd done. This afternoon the sun is shining and a cloud of the ladies are buzzing about the hive and getting used to their new surroundings. 

I stood outside in the sunshine with my sons and we enjoyed the bees flying around us. I had worried that it might be an unnerving experience but it was actually very relaxing. The bees flew around us getting to know us and their new home. Some of them had clearly been foraging and brought home pollen for the hive. Some of them are still getting their bearings and crashed unceremoniously into the roof of the hive with a gust of wind but so far we've had no fatalities.

The next thing is to make some sugar syrup. At this time of the year there are many fewer flowering plants so, although the hive has stores they still need to be able to find something nourishing to build stocks when nectar is in short supply.

the recipe is

 1 kilo/2lbs of refined white sugar 

 1pt/600ml water

 1 good handful Thyme

 1good handful Lemonbalm

mix in a pan and bring to the boil then leave to go cold.

Many bee keepers just use water and sugar but, being a Herbalist and having done my research I felt that the medicinal benefits to the bees and the added nutrition of these two herbs would make the syrup a more tempting proposition.

I'm waiting for my freind to come round and show me how to put it into the feeder in the hive.