Rest in bees...

Apologies for the awful pun, but it seemed appropriate. On Saturday, with the mild weather continuing, I decided to go and check all was well with the bees. The first colony, the more tetchy of the two, was filling the super and buzzing quite a bit. Their mood wasn't help by my clumsy removal of the super. I just couldn't get it off and ended up tipping one side and prising off the frames underneath. I knew it would be stuck but didn't think it would be so bad. It wasn't helped by the extra comb the bees had built down into the, now empty, frame feeder. At least they have taken all the Fumidil B and so should be nosema-free now. One thing I do need to do is widen the slats in the floor for the varroa tray. Part of the reason I don't effectively manage the varroa is because it's a struggle to get the sliders in and out. Must remedy that this season, it's a part of my beekeeping I know is lacking...

So, after a bit of lumping about (and only one minor sting!) I moved onto the second hive. Oh dear. No sign of anything when I took off the lid. A small cluster of maybe 20-30 bees were stuck at the top of one frame and there were odd ones and twos of bees across some of the other frames. There were stores, at least four frames-worth, but from the position of some bees (head down, right down into the cell, just the business end sticking out) I must suspect starvation. I can't understand it, they were a good-sized cluster not two weeks back, with plenty of stores and a frame feeder full of syrup. Needless to say they hadn't taken much from the feeder. So for the first time since I started keeping bees, I have lost a colony. Gutted. I brushed off the frames and closed up the hive and came home to think about my next move. I hope to move both hives in the next few weeks and then, once settled, will attempt to re-queen from the first hive. I like having two colonies, it gives a way of comparing how each is doing so I will make sure I expand again as soon as possible.

On a slightly different note, I got my monthly newsletter from my association, Manchester beekeepers. The results of the honey show were in. Seven of the classes were won by the local bee inspector. Is it just sour grapes, thinking a professional beekeeper has an unfair advantage?

Help wanted, bring your own matches...

The following advert appeared in the Manchester Evening News last week and it seemed worthy of a post.

I agree that it's a unique opportunity but I do have some reservations about the rest of the job. For a start, what do they mean by 'optimum productivity' and, later, 'bonus opportunities'? If you're a few dogs short of your bonus one month, can you use cats? How many rabbits would you need to equal one horse? Would you put lots of pets into one box, thus cutting down on fuel for the pyre and earning yourself 'technical ability' points? If no-one was booked in, would you go out at night seeing what you could run over?

The other thing I thought was interesting was they ask, obviously, for people who have experience of working in a crematorium. Failing that, you could work in a waste management / incinerator business. Now, just bear with me for a second, but isn't that reducing the last rites for a much beloved family pet down to a 'shove it on the fire' attitude? Would Granny Clamp's moggie just be another tick on the bonus sheet? Little Johnny's stick insects merely extra heat...

I suppose I'm curious about the whole set-up. If you do fancy applying, I left the details on the advert. Do let me know how you get on...

A grave matter...

In recent weeks I've been to two funerals, both of uncles, and returned from France to find out a friend from Liverpool, who was only a year older than me, had been found dead in his house only a few days before. It made me think of how vulnerable and soft people are, how easy it seems to be to snuff out the light of life, and how coping with death can be a difficult and painful process.

In Bayeux, we passed a funeral shop and were smiling at the stones available to adorn graves. At first I thought they were ridiculous, but having reflected on it for a few days, why shouldn't people have images on the stones that portray their life-long loves and hobbies? Here are a selection of the ones in the window:

For the gambler, an unbeatable poker hand to give them a good start in the next world.

For the farmer, a reminder of all those early starts with only the occasional pat on the back.

And for the motorist, chugging along heaven's highways in an upturned pram.