Bees don't like wind

Nipped up to the allotment this morning for the normal watering and weeding session before breakfast, it was another sunny day but the wind was coming straight off the Pennines, down the valley and smashing into my little plot like the proverbial tempest. We are lucky to have the bottom, corner plot of a fairly exposed south west sloping allotment site. the wind therefore doesn't generally have too much of a serious impact on the plot. The greenhouse does usually get blown two foot down the hill during each winter storm though. First job on the allotment each year has been to re site it back up the hill, I really should stop bothering, it's become a bit of a Sisyphean task. Hmmm.

We'd finished the watering and weeding when the wind really started gusting quite alarmingly. First one pane blew out of the greenhouse, it was already cracked so I wasn't too alarmed. Decided it may be better to close it up to stop the gusts blowing through it. Then all the screening around the bees blew free of its tether, billowing about like something out of the Wreck of the Hesperus, a couple of pallets, cable ties and a good few rocks sorted that out. To complete that task I had to get within a few feet of the entrance to the hive, understandably the bees were a bit pee'd off anyway, to be confronted with a small person chucking big bits of wood and rock about didn't seem to improve their mood any. Got a few warning buzzes in the ear but bless them, they didn't attack which was a relief as I didn't have any protection with me! Note to self, keep a cheap smock and veil in the allotment shed for future mishaps. Just then another pane from the greenhouse blew out with such force I decided it was be better for our health to quickly check the bees feed, top up if necessary and beat a hasty retreat.

Whilst I was in the super, I took a couple of shots of the rapid feeder, something a bit strange is going in there. I don't know if it's something the bees have done or it's just sugar crystals that have formed through the syrup evaporating but the bees seem to be munching on that rather than drinking the syrup. It wasn't there yesterday so I must ask next time I see the bee guys. Anyway, they are still flying well despite the weather so I won't worry too much. Maybe if they do have such a sweet tooth the may like a less dilute solution.

Update: Bumped into the Extrodinary Rooneys into the pub this evening, the white stuff is brace comb, appently one of their colonies had done similar things in one of their feeders.