May has been a particularly difficult month with the bees. In all, so far, I have had to deal with six swarms, two of which decided that they liked their hives and returned. I find it disturbing to destroy queen cells. Some beekeepers don't practice this, they split the colony before they swarm, a risky business. I was getting totally stressed out, trying to get into the hives to sort out who is doing what before the next downpour of rain or spell of cold weather.
I have given away three swarms and have decided that, even if we don't get a big crop of honey now, at least the bee population is growing in the village. I caught the sixth swarm - and I hope the last. Now I have four colonies.
Here's how a neighbour and I tackled the fifth swarm. She climbs ladders, I don't!
