April's powerful combination of sunshine & showers is resulting in a garden that is changing by the moment. Our honey bees are industrious, spoilt for choice by the vast array of their favorite flowers for foraging. Today was our first hive inspection on the Eve of April's 'Seed Moon'. This is a time when from our perspective the sun is opposite the moon in the skies. This libra full moon is a time for balance; the integration of our motivation & our need for peace & harmony.
Our new Queen, 'Banba', reigns over a court of gentle, benevolent bees who bore our inspection with grace & good humour. The brood is increasing rapidly & they are storing nectar as well as pollen. Several of the frames in the top super are dripping with delicious sweet honey waiting to be capped. This is a good time for dandelions; they produce large amounts of nectar & pollen excellent for honey production. We shifted several frames to give Banba more space for laying, in the hope that we can discourage her from swarming - a worry at this time of year! They love the pollen & nectar from the exquisite crab apple blossom!
