A diary of a bee keeping UK exPat in deepest Swabian part of Bavaria - west of Munich, half way to Lake Constance.

Actually a Bavarian-British co-production, thanks to my Mentor "MrB" who I met by chance on 4th May 2013 while we were both walking our dogs. Being the person he is, my chanc Read more...

A diary of a bee keeping UK exPat in deepest Swabian part of Bavaria - west of Munich, half way to Lake Constance.

Actually a Bavarian-British co-production, thanks to my Mentor "MrB" who I met by chance on 4th May 2013 while we were both walking our dogs. Being the person he is, my chance remark that I had always wanted to have bees, led to the first hive arriving on 12th May 2013 and so it all started.

This journal was started on 3rd September 2013 long after most of the 2013 season was finished but I hope to keep a full Blip diary in 2014. 2013 was dreadful weather year in spring and early summer causing considerable difficulties.

The main events in 2013:

12th May - Original two storey colony started.

20th May - MrB gave me a small "offspring" colony as some of his were threatening to swarm. No queen but hopefully one will emerge.

7th July - Discovered queen no longer there. As she had clearly been active recently, MrB split the original hive in to two with a number of possible queen cells in both as well as some in the offspring colony as they hadn't produced a queen, in the hope at least one would produce a queen. In fact all three did.

26th August - Honey Harvest

The origin of the Journal name is here

Just in case anyone wants to comment or ask a question, I have a "normal" journal. However a warning - lots of blurb there and bad for one's sanity.

Or in an emergency, MrB & I can be contacted at:
cafe-mistblick(at)gmx.eu