Fondant Check

Checked my 3 hives today for fondant use. Le-Pige not used any Le-Chai taken the lot , replaced with new . Monsieur Antoine not used any The hive Le-chai taken fondant is i think the weakest hive so hopefully it will go through the winter.

Complacency in Beekeeping

COMPLACINCEY BEEKEEPER I started Beekeeping and obtained my first hive in 2011 then second in 2012, I was and am fortunate to have been put on to an established and well recommended beekeeper by the name of Lincs Bee owned by Mike. Mike has become my bee mentor and himself and his knowledge of beekeeping I hold in the highest regard hence buying another hive for 2013. My Story of Complacency. I can manage my bees quite well since starting and I all ways remember the golden rule from Mike, when checking hives all ways be fully suited in bee clothing, well I all ways have adhered to this until Monday 12th November 2012. I had to go to one of my hives outside the home garden apiary to add fondant, but also to move the brood box on top of the super, I had removed the queen excluder few weeks before, so I got all my equipment and bee suit ready and left to the hive, after arriving I suited up but realised I forgot my bee trousers and was only wearing jogging bottoms. I thought I will be ok with the bee suit top half, jogging bottoms tucked in wellingtons, and basically could not be bothered to go back to the house which would take 10 minute round trip as I knew better, even though my Bee mentors advice ringing in my ears all ways go suited and booted properly I opened the hive , removed roof , all calm, removed crown board bit of activity no problems, took the super off to move to bottom and brood box to top, oh my god Armageddon, within seconds my jogging bottoms were covered in bees, my bee suit top head gear fine, I then felt the first sting rapidly followed by several more, I looked at my jogging bottoms and in my stupidity brushed them of straight in to my wellingtons, band more stings on me ankles and feet, I vacated the hive and ran to my car, on the way bang , bang several hits, I made it to the car and drove home, arriving at the driveway I fell out of the car in agony, my neighbour saw me and bravely helped me remove my clothes, I knew I had to go back to sort the hive, so changed my jogging bottoms and put new on and grabbed my bee suit trousers, as I got in the car, I did not check the car seat and sat on 3 bees, bang stung in the backside. I made it to the hive and sorted it while in agony, I got home got sorted, and through my stupidity of not fully suiting up It transpired I got stung x 2 on the bottom, x11 in the groin and thigh area, x1 in the crown jewels, and x3 in the ankle and foot. I was in agony for 5 days suffering burning, itching, throbbing with pain and swelling, I took anti histamine tablets every day and also anti histamine cream, even after 5 days I know it will take time for everything to calm down and be pain free. The crunch of the matter is that at no time was it the bees fault, it was me being so stupid over confident and not listening to what I had been told, so for all budding new beekeepers you will all find your own paths, but through my stupidity caused all this pain to myself, were if fully suited it would have been a pain free 10 minute max operation. Stupid Beekeeper Steve, but I love my bees