🌸 Midsummer in the Beehive: What’s Buzzing and Blooming in Rogaland?

https://www.steinerskolen-norge.no/display/edecf743-646a-396c-d09b-f85607830488

As a beekeeper in Southern California working with feral beehives, we've recently been using an innovation (for us!) which dramatically reduces issues with "hot" hives, i.e. those that tend to be more aggressive. When working these hives, we're now packing spray bottles with a light sugar syrup scented with lemongrass. If a hive is particularly "spicy", we will pin down all the bees inside with sticky sugar syrup spray. If a hive is okay but starts getting annoyed (heat bopping/stinging) then we use the spray bottles in "mist" mode and knock down all the head bopping bees with sugar syrup spray with lemongrass. (the sugar spray clings to their wings, doesn't hurt them, but they have to land and clean it off... lemongrass is an attempt to jam their pheremone sensors, and they often forget they are in "attack" mode). The only thing is, you have to treat the base around the hives so that you don't attract thousands of Argentine ants looking for sugar. #beekeeping

The long awaited, very expensive, bee suits came. Mine is fine but Stuart's is way too long for him. They have measured his back at 38.5 inches, a good 3 inches longer than it is. Consequently the crotch is half way down his thighs and the ankles are all wrong. Mine fits both of us ok, bit long on him. So far they are not being helpful at all. Difficult when you are in Wales and the business is in Cornwall #beekeeping

A honey bee considering the implications of my car sticker. (This was 8 o'clock at night last Friday in a hotel car park when it was quite cold and damp and was quite an odd time to encounter a bee really) #beekeeping