May swarm

An exciting day at the apiary: a swarm, our first of the season. It was spotted by the gardeners earlier in the afternoon. The bees had congregated on a young cherry tree, just like one of last year's swarms. Jenny had been round to catch them. They were waiting in the skep she'd brushed them into, laid to rest upside down on the ground and wrapped in a white sheet.

Luckily we had new homes waiting for them: not one but two beautiful top bar hives, made by Steve. They were not quite ready: both were missing the metal grille that usually lines the bottoms, to provide good ventilation. We also meant to coat the insides with shellac. But no matter, we found the grilles in the shed, cut and stapled one of them to the base of the smaller of the two hives, to house our new bees, and painted a coat of shellac inside the big one, to which we might move them later.

Then we moved the bees! Here are some photos.

The last few bees scarpering up the 'runway' we laid for them, to join the queen and the rest of the colony inside the new hive: