Just to remind all beekeepers that the June gap can still happen and large growing colonies with little or no available forage, can quickly result in a shortage of stores.

So be sure to check that your bees have enough food, especially if you have taken off any spring honey. Note that if you add extra frames of sealed stores you should keep them in the brood boxes, so as to avoid getting them mixed up in the honey supers. Also, if you have to feed directly, use a light syrup (i.e. 1:1 sugar/water ratio) with any honey supers taken off during the feeding process.

Just to remind beekeepers everywhere to check their bees for stores, as we are coming into a high risk time for starvation, as the queen gets into gear and the remaining winter stores are used up. So give your hives a heft and if needed, give them some fondant or candy (not liquid feed!).

If you require fondant, it is available for PBKA members only at £1.50/kg pack, or £18 a box of 12), from the PBKA Chairman, Jeremy Percy. You can contact him on 07799 698568.