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A very small swarm buzzed through the garden and over the house today, I expected to be able to see a denser area where they are keeping close to the queen but did not. Is that strange? I've only ever seen one other swarm, it had already settled around an empty hive and was absolutely enormous.

Up here in the East Midlands there has been a good flow and so have been able to spin off the first few frames already.

How's it going for beekeepers elsewhere? Did the awful winter take it's toll on the country's hives?

We've had two swarms in the garden so far this spring. Managed to get one in a hive, as the bees very obligingly formed a ball, not too high up an olive tree. The other swarm are in a very old tree, so they'll hopefully chuck out a swarm next year.

I've just received my first ever nuc of bees, gonna put them in the hive tomorrow. Ther are working all 5 frames in the nuc box and were out flying yesterday.