Melsonbee Honey Blog - July 2026
The apiary is buzzing nicely, the supers are getting fuller and some are even capped.
Well, the sun is out, it's not rained yet (but the school holidays have only just started - expect torrential downpours soon) and the hosepipe ban must be due soon.
The apiary is buzzing nicely, the supers are getting fuller and some are even capped. There's not much in the way of honey yet however, as the hives are all very young - main focus is getting them through their first winter.
Most are pretty chilled, and the angry bunch have been requeened. Need to head into them for a full inspection to find her and see if she's laying, which is always tricky. She's got a blob of white paint on her back, but it's still not easy to pick her out if she's hiding.
The June Gap in flowering has ended, and fingers crossed, not much wasp activity around the hives, so we're hoping they build up nice and strong for a winter hibernation.
On Sunday, some hot-honey dips (small pots) and raspberry and honey slices coming to the honesty box on East Road, which now has solar-powered fans and a Sum-Up machine! The dips are a new thing, so feedback, either written on a post-it, emailed or fed back to the staff at either Aske or Richmond cafés is welcome!