At last the farmy is looking springy. I even mowed the lawns yesterday. Gardened for hours wearing a heat wrap to protect my back. And look at our new header, it says it all.
Charlotte’s shape is slowly changing.
I told her to open her eyes for this picture or it would look like she was dead. “She is too Fat to move her eyelids!” smartly grunted Sheila from out the back.
“Shut up in the cheap seats.” called back Char.
Donna’s magnolia is flowering in her garden out to the South.
Now, here is something interesting at the bee hives. Look below: This hive is very still the bees just sit all day. It is the weaker hive that took the brunt of the cold that first night they were here. 
Compare their inactivity with the hive below. It is busy, pollen is being brought home, bees are fanning at the door and they have set up the guards and the doormen.
Our little hive has lost its queen, almost definitely. They are drinking more sugar water (not foraging) , despondent, disorganised and still, just clinging to the side of the hive. The other hive is roaring along. I shall call the bee man today and see if he can fedex out a new queen for them. Hopefully they can hang on until she arrives. But isn’t that interesting, the huge and very obvious difference the queen makes to the hives mood. I shall keep you posted.
Good morning. Let’s hope all MY worker bees turn up today. I had better get going early so that everything is ship shape before they all arrive. With two crews (roofing and dry-walling) working in the same space it will be busy. If they all arrive that is, you never know.
Have a lovely day.
your friend, celi
cc
The Kitchen's Garden 
57 responses to “Sometimes piggies are not pretty but bees always are …”
Hi Celi, As it’s been over 10yrs now, so far too late to be of any real help (and I’ve no idea how much longer you actually had the bees) I can tell you that those yellow drips on the front of this weaker hive are caused by dysentery and very likely the source of their miserable appearance… Congrats on having one very healthy, happy-looking hive though! Hugs, Deb
What on earth are you doing all the way back there!? 😂
Ah crud Celi, I had an answer written out for you, but got interrupted, closed WordPress and lost it all!:/ )
For short, let’s just say I’ve had a vested interest in the health and well-being of bees (and thus Pollinators of all sorts really) for many decades now (have a look at my email addy, and you’ll totally get the story; )
More on this subject later, yeah? xo D.