Although our Bee Team are having a well deserved month off... the work in the Heron Hill apiary never stops entirely!
Throughout the winter we have been going down to the hives to regularly 'Heft' the hives which means lifting one side to 'estimate' the weight of the stores the bees have available to them to see out the Cumbrian winter. Fondant has been topped up when needed and the children have used all their senses to 'look, listen and feel' how the colonies are doing.
February is often a risky period for our bees... stores could be running low and the weather can be very cold and wet. It is also the time when the worker bees are at their lowest numbers... so we need to be extra vigilant until the Spring weather arrives...(hopefully soon!)
Throughout the winter we have been going down to the hives to regularly 'Heft' the hives which means lifting one side to 'estimate' the weight of the stores the bees have available to them to see out the Cumbrian winter. Fondant has been topped up when needed and the children have used all their senses to 'look, listen and feel' how the colonies are doing.
February is often a risky period for our bees... stores could be running low and the weather can be very cold and wet. It is also the time when the worker bees are at their lowest numbers... so we need to be extra vigilant until the Spring weather arrives...(hopefully soon!)
'Listening' for the bees Topping up the fondant