Almost done for 2013

As reported, have reduced hives down to 1 layer with 12 frames each in "German Norm"(DNM) size (35cm x 20cm - inside) which gives a total surface for each hive to build of 1.4m².

MrB recommended me to use DNM as it is relatively small and easy to handle - I was very surprised how heavy a fully loaded honeycomb is and if you have 3 hives with 3 layers you may have to lift and inspect 216 comb sides on a hot July afternoon in the blazing sun dressed in a heavy suit and unable to rub the itch on your nose.

However one of the very first things MrB told me - "There is no right way to keep bees. Start out with one method, learn how it can work from your mentor and when you feel confident, adapt as you feel appropriate". I'm still a long way from the "confident" stage but I now know that he was right.

The Blip shows the three hives as of today taken from the normal working position at the back of the hives i.e. the bee entrance is at the top of the photo. The hives are left to right also in the order they stand:

Left: Biggest colony,almost all combs full & lots of bees to be seen on the combs and very little activity at the entrance i.e. they are not flying to collect food.

Middle: Except for the bottom two combs, the frames are well built out. For those who read the 6th October Blip, I had swapped the two bottom frames from this hive with the bottom two from the weak "offspring" hive as they were so far behind. At the entrance this hive is incredibly active with "traffic jam" like queues waiting to land and unload their food. Hence although well built out they still have work to do on the bottom two frames.

Right: The offspring hive and the weakest. Here the bottom two combs don't look built out but they are more or less full and just need the finishing touches. At the entrance there is good activity but probably simply due to the numbers, not as much as the middle hive.

Not quite finished for this year - I need to return the middle hive box to MrB who had borrowed it from a friend so that I could start back in May. So as I have bought a 3 box hive and only now have two in use, just need to build a base board and then move all the combs from the middle (green) box in to my 3rd box. MrB assures me it's no problem when the weather is warm and we are due to have 22°C on Saturday so will hope I find time. Feel very nervous though that I might squash the queen! Wish me luck.