"Alright… just finished checking Hive B3.

Did a mite count on C12 — got 8 mites for 300 bees, above threshold. Gotta start oxalic acid next week.

There's brood — both capped and uncapped, and the pattern is really tight, consistent.

Queen's laying, spotted her during the count — she's in good shape.

No signs of disease… unusual amount of drones though, I'll keep an eye on it.

…brood everywhere, uncapped mostly…

B3's bursting — I'm gonna split her today, taking three frames into a nuc.

Super's about halfway full.

Frames are drawn out nicely on the outer two, she's using the whole box.

Bit of burr comb on the crown board again, scraped it off.

Temper's fine today, barely any smoke needed. They're calm.

Okay, moving on to C12… lid's heavy, that's a good sign.

Plenty of stores in the top box, capped honey across four or five frames.

Pollen coming in, lots of orange, must be the rape field over the hill.

Didn't spot the queen on this one but there's eggs, so she's in there somewhere.

Entrance is busy, good traffic, no fighting at the door.

One frame had a couple of queen cells on the bottom edge… I knocked them back.

Actually no, leave that, I want to look again next week before I decide.

Mouse guard's still on from winter, need to take that off.

…

Right, back to B3 for the split. Taking three frames of brood and the one with eggs.

Putting them in the nuc box with a frame of stores and a drawn empty.

Shook a bit of extra nurse bee in, they'll need the numbers.

Nuc goes on the far side of the row, facing the other way so they don't drift back.

I'll leave them queenless, let them raise their own. Check in two weeks.

Weather's been kind, twenty two degrees and no wind to speak of.

Water tray's dry again, third time this month. Need a bigger one.

That's the lot. Both hives done, one nuc made, oxalic to order.