Well today was the big day and I was up at 5.30 to be at the beekeepers at the earliest possible time. Always move bees while they are sleeping if at all possible.



On arrival I was told its always best to come in a pick-up truck as the nucs (bee colonies) are in boxes which are not totally bee proof!!!

So we carefully loaded the three colonies into the back of the expedition covered then in a picnic blanket, then turned the air conditioning to the max so that the cold would make them drowsy.....

it worked and we only had a couple of brave souls that insisted on flying around inside the car on the journey home.

Once home it was a matter of removing the colonies from the car.



With all the protective gear on, my nerves totally on edge and the dangerous parcels at my feet I felt much closer to the bomb disposal squad than I did to bee keeping.



As I raised the bees from the boxes their constant buzzing increased in pitch and to say I felt threatened is an understatement. Anyway it all went pretty well and the three new colonies appear to be settled in the new hives and I only managed to get stung once which was pretty amazing really.

Gaia was however the most brave she stood not far away taking the pictures that you are currently enjoying. Not long after she was seen running down the drive waving her arms in the air and trying to get an angry bee from out of her hair. I have to confess that I laughed...more from the release of nervous tension than any enjoyment at her situation you understand!

On the alpaca front we are still waiting for a progesterone level on our "pregnant" female and I am hoping to hear something later today on that.

As we were driving to the bee ranch we passed a London Double Decker bus, the number 9 to Knightsbridge to be exact... somehow that very familiar sight (from all the years I spent in the city of London) was the strangest part of the whole day...weird.



Adrian Stewart
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