Keeping a lid on it
The bees of the Copper Hive are making the most of the sunshine today, flying around as if spring had already arrived.
It is warm enough to open the hive and reposition the boxes into the summer configuration as mentioned at the end of this previous post. I am keen to do it soon, before the brood nest expands down into the super. However, today is not the day. Today, the next door neighbours are having a new patio laid. Builders are coming and going and operating machinery. A flurry of disturbed honey bees is unlikely to be well received among them. It is said that honey bees don't like the sound of motors, that they are annoyed by lawn mowers etc. I haven't noticed that with my bees - and I haven't heard any shrieks from next door - but in any event it seems best for the hive roof to stay firmly closed today.