The bee inspector pays a visit

  What a delight it was to spend 40 minutes with such a source of experience!

Our hives are registered on Beebase so as any time a Defra Bee Inspector can come round and check that you are not spreading any nasty bee diseases.  So when I got an email from Philip I was a little apprehensive as it feels like you are being checked up on.

He turned up today and promptly started checking through each hive, frame by frame.  Immediately I found I was picking up tips while I watched him handle the frames and the bees. Things like covering retaining the crown board to cover each super as you lift them off the hive.  Apparently they dont like our CO2 as we breath out so the crown board protects them from this as well as keeping them contained and in the dark.

Anyway, we have a been given a clean bill of health but there were a few capped brood cells left in otherwise hatched frames which contained bees without fully formed wings. These were probably varroa damaged. We are therefore under strict instructions to get the honey off the hives asap and put in the apiguard.  Will do.