The 'problem' with a hive is of course that you can not see inside without opening it up! I have been anxious that the frames may have been overloaded. It had been about 3 weeks since I last opened it.
With a cooler day today of 30 degrees Celsius - we are in the middle of another block of 39 degree and above days - it was time to don the hot bee gear and crack it open!
I was surprised. I really did expect it to be overflowing with full frames in the top spare.....but again the middle 5 or so were the most full. As before I removed just one frame - the fullest in the centre and mover the others in to fill the gap. The end space is replaced with a new spare.
Everything looked and sounded great. I love the sound of the bees doing their thing! I forget they are flying around me when the gear is on, but when I realised Mum was behind me in the garden and I saw the number of bees flying around, it takes me aback - There are so many! What with the mesh and smoke, I don't notice them around me!
Back into the kitchen for the next variation of extraction....I must get the spinning extractor soon. The only way I can extract the honey currently is one frame at a time - that's OK - but I have to wreck the honey comb to do so - and that's why the poor bees are working extra hard to have the honey! They have to make the comb again!.
Big plastic tub with lid. 35 litre I think. (in case of ants overnight - they are looking for water at the moment in the heat)
Bit of Glad bake cooking paper in the bottom to catch precious drips!
Food safe plastic tub
Fine frypan non spatter mesh cover
Colander
Sieve
Its working quite quickly, but not quickly enough for Mr 3, Charlie...."Will you bring a jar of my honey to me next time?" Of course I will!
