In August 2017 after a long walk over the fields, flagging
down a man in a tractor and a lengthy talk with a local farmer Grantham Districts
dream of its own Apiary became a reality.
After discussions and meetings on what we would use the site for, (primarily educational purposes) hives were ordered for the new Apiary. The Farmer was also kind
enough to offer us a brick shed with brick floor and tiled roof as a secure
space to store any equipment that we would need to have on hand.
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| The shed was full of rubbish but it wasn't too long of a job to get it emptied and swept out. |
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| A smart new shutter made for the window and we are good to go! |
The idea was that we would house our new hives in the summer
of 2018 with any swarms that were collected by the district swarm collectors
but with the beast from the east and then the blazing summer that followed it
was a rare year of very few swarms about and so the summer passed us by without
any bees being housed….leave it to the bees to mess up your well laid plans!!
Then…in October we received an e-mail from a Beekeeper who
was giving up, this was not one of our members but the District quickly took
the opportunity to put some bees in the apiary and so on a rainy October
morning in 2018 the bees were collected and placed in situ to see the winter
through, and so Grantham District Apiary was well and truly on its way!!
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| The hives housed on their palettes, plenty of room for inspections and swarm control. |
So the winter has now passed and I have been checking
occasionally whilst out and about…I could see movement and activity at the
entrances….the bees had made it through the winter…first hurdle over…..
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| Just on their way out! |
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| On its way back!! |
