June 30th - Almost taller than me

2010 Queen, the colony are showing no signs of wanting to swarm but since the last time I opened them up they have filled a super and capped it. So I've added another BS National chamber instead.



Super - full capped.
Super - full capped.
14x12 - half full of uncapped honey.
BS National - Added today (plastic foundation).
14x12 - 8 frames of brood, 2 frames of stores, 6 frames of the 8 brood frames are wall to wall with brood in all stages.

June 25th - Bee Sting and Drugs

Long story which I won't bore you with, but just to say I visited my hives yesterday just to get some fresh air after being stuck in doors for almost 2 weeks after my back op. I noticed a swarm had made a home in an old nuc I use for rubbish, I thought the entrance was blocked off with foam but its disappeared.

Today I went to transfer them into another nuc with frames and in the process got stung on the forehead, long story short they are still in the same nuc. On the way home I started to feel hot and sweaty, my ears were bright red and I could feel my forehead starting to swell, lips felt puffy and my whole body start feeling hot and sweaty. Fortunately I only live a few minutes away as by the time I got home I knew I was reacting really badly to being stung. Since my back op I've been on a cocktail of drugs, currently I'm still taking Dihydrocodeine, Etoricoxib and Paracetamol. I think the combination of drugs and the sting reacted badly. 10 minutes later my whole body was covered in blisters. (picture of my upper arm)

Each of them felt like a small burning sensation and sore. My suit was peppered with hundreds of stings sacs but I'm positive this reaction was only from the one sting. The wife got the piriton tablets out and got me bowl of cool water and a cloth to help cool me down again.

Despite some peoples thoughts of leather gauntlets I am so glad I was wearing them today. Two hours later thankfully I felt fine again. A sure fire way to remind yourself how nasty bee stings can be, more so if your body is recovering from major surgery and full of pain killers and anti-inflammatories.