Spring Ups and Downs

As I write this I can see two long tailed tits browsing through the hazel outside the window- they have been regular visitors for the last few weeks, so hopefully they are nesting somwhere close by. The spring flowers in the garden are beautiful- the days have lengthened and March has been warm and dry- a great start to the gardening year!
On the allotment we have already put in potatoes, some asparagus is shooting and seed sowing is well under way. I just love this time of year!!
For the first time the bees come into the scheme of things - the first inspection of the year looms and already we are contending with keeping the bees healthy. An early monitoring of the Varroa count on the open mesh floor indictated that there may be a problem later in the year. The natural mite drop can be used to calculate the population in the hive. At this time of year a drop of 1 mite a day could mean that as the brood nest increases, so will the mites proportionally and seriously affect the colony.
Our drop had been between 0.5 and 1 so it was decided to put Apiguard on to prevent the problem getting worse later in the year. It is nearly two weeks since we put on the treatment so I hope this week to carry out an inspection and evaluate whether more treatment is needed or if all looks well.
On the positive side of things the hive is busy with lots pollen going in- indicating a growing amount od brood. When we opened the hive to put on the Apiguard we removed the crown board and broke away brace comb that was full of honey- as some dripped out it had to be tasted and was delilcious- hopefully a sign of things to come!