Melsonbee Honey Bee Blog - New Neighbours… again

Another nucleus arrived today, one of four local nucs to replace spaces in the apiary.

These "half-colonies" of 6 frames of bees are overwintered nearby, as insurance against failing, weak colonies or total losses in the previous winter. They might be specially reared, splits from well-performing colonies or swarms from nearby, but all come with a clean bill of health and a queen, marked with bee-friendly paint to indicate the year of her birth. These new neighbours were out of their travelling box and heading out to explore in the afternoon sunshine after being cooped up the previous night. They've been fed sugar syrup too, as we're in the "June Gap" - a period after the early flowering crops but before the later summer trees and plants get going.

Everything doesn't always go to plan...

There was obviously some honey left in the frames, which must have dripped down onto the edges of the super - the feisty bees from the hive next door were on to it faster than owt! It gave them a free feed, but encourages robbing of their neighbours' hive, so definitely something to watch out for. They should make the most of it, as their time is limited;, they'll be requeened in a couple of weeks, to sort out their aggressive behaviour once and for all...