A very Exciting Bee Update 🐝

With the summer months fast approaching, our colony of bees have been able to get out and explore their new home in this warmer weather🌞. Our friendly pollinators have been getting familiar with the Darnley's Gin Garden and all of the wonderful botanicals that are growing in our new and improved space.

These images show Mandy, our resident beekeeper here at Kingsbarns🐝and her fellow bee keeper friend, Alistair. 

Mandy's update:

"There are lots of bees in the hive as you can see, and they seem quite settled and organised. To give them a bit more room, I have put on another super (a box of empty frames) in which I hope they will gather honey. They have begun making honey already, but not ready to harvest for a while, I’d guess." 

"This is a beautiful frame of sealed brood. The majority will hatch into female worker bees. The more raised cells around the edges of the frames are drone brood - male bees. You can see a few larvae at the lower edge of the main patch of brood.

The dark comb means that this frame has been in the hive for a few years. I have replaced three old combs with new foundation, which the bees will draw out and start using over the next week or two. They can build comb very quickly at this time of year. New frames will give them more space, and will hopefully help to discourage them from swarming.

This last image shows the pollen collected by the hive, the bees that appear very yellow have been covered in it. The red pollen in the leg sacks are assumed to be from horse chestnut trees!🌳"

Stay tuned for more updates!