MrB

Gotcha. At long last. MrB asked me to make sure I published this with a greeting to Barack & GCHQ.
Didn't publish last night as a) I didn't take a single photo and b) We were KO.
Managed to do a few minor things around the house and garden but not much and a couple of visitors "forced" us to sit down & relax. Today was much of the same, I think both Angie & I are now stable but there are a few days to go before we are back up to speed.

Today visitors again including MrB who had promised to check out the bees as I didn't feel competent to evaluate the situation. Just to recap the situation. Two weeks ago discovered the small "off-spring" hive (on the left) had still not produced a queen and the 2-storey hive no longer had a queen (reason unknown) so MrB made two, 1-storey hives and rearranged the combs so that there were queen cells in all three hives and they have been left in peace since then to hopefully activate queens in each box. Well today was the test and "magic-hands" MrB had conjured 100% success. Queens in all 3 hives! Yippeeeee.
Now the target is to get off-spring in to a proper hive soon and get all three hives to build up their numbers & resources for the winter! If all goes well we will be fully ready for next spring and then comes the vintage honey year 2014!

MrB will be back tomorrow evening with some 2012 hay for the horses which he has "sourced" for us. MrB is one of those people who don't talk, just act. Mention to him in passing that you need this or that, also things with which he normally has nothing to do with, and 24 hours later he calls or comes by to say he has found the answer. A real "treasure". Thanks Peter!