Well, the bees are getting well-settled into the area, hauling in masses of pollen and nectar. And I’m settling into being a beekeeper again. Got my first two stings. Yes, I remember what they are.
Feeding the colony with sugar syrup, as even with a good nectar flow just now, I want to maximise their wax building propensities. They aren’t taking the syrup down really fast, as the feeder is designed to limit the number of bees that can access the feed, as well as keeping them from drowning in it.
“Over the top” feeders I’ve used in the past were mostly egg pulp tins cut in half (that job is not fun), then filled with such as wood wool, fine shavings that would reduce the drowning. But we were feeding large amounts of syrup, and it was not so refined or elegant as the feeder I’m using.
Today’s job? I raised the hive about 30mm. Not to give them a better view, but now have the floor supported by 4 old sockets, one on each corner. And I’ve squirted oil over the sockets. And maybe that will keep the ants at bay – they are a real nuisance in a hive, but almost always there, if you’re feeding syrup.