The bees are in good shape!

Bees just had their annual AFB inspection: 

They are fine! This is not the year we have to work out how to burn them. No varroa, or evidence of them, probably treat in 3 weeks or a month. No real queen cells, one little play cup. Proud! 

Malka! 

Her 3/4 hive had a  empty bottom box, so we put it on top with a queen excluder under it. 

Rachael's (Flow) hive: Lots of honey in it, a good deal from last year because we had a mild winter and they just kept on foraging. Added queen excluder and box on top: 4 full honey frames up to it, 4 empty down from it. Didn't see Rachael but everything looks like she's good. Could harvest some honey. 

Also, the fish survived the winter too! The one on the left had a moustache when it went on so it's called Hercule Poisson and the other one had a yellow face and had been hiding ever since it went in so it's called Chicken. 

Stung, honey.

On Monday we opened the 3/4 hive, we didn't identify any eggs but we saw plenty of nectar, some honey,  brood and larvae, and Malka herself. 

On Tuesday we opened the Flow hive, there was lots and lots of honey, we didn't identify any eggs or see Rachael, but we saw brood and larvae. We put an escape on below the top box hoping to concentrate the bees in the bottom three boxes to get ready to extract. 

We accidentally squashed more bees than usual, including one poor bee between a very laden box and Sean's tummy (he got stung), and they got a bit het up, I also got stung when trying to tidy up a little a few hours later. Last time I was stung it was somewhat complicated  http://susanharper.blogspot.com/2019/11/dont-worry-it-is-not-these-things-upon.html ... I'm hoping it'll be simpler this time. 

On Wednesday we removed Rachael's top box, saved it for extraction, and then put an empty box under the new top box. We were careful because we thought they'd still be cross, but it went smoothly. We then did the extraction. 

Today we are putting honey in jars.