The last week in the museum

2025 Cliffe Castle Bee Blog #8

Mike Latham and I checked the bees this morning (1^st September), on a cool and windy day. Even though we looked at them under the shelter of the museum entrance, they weren’t so happy with the sudden temperature drop outside.

All is well. The new queen is now laying on five frames of comb and the house bees have tidied up the blue marks I splattered over her a few weeks ago. She looks very neat and well-presented now.

This is the last week of the school holidays and David Wadsworth will be our last Beekeeper by the Hive of the season. If you are visiting Cliffe Castle tomorrow (Tuesday), do call by to say hello. David will be happy to explain what’s happening in the hive and answer any questions you have.

Steve and I will be returning the colony to our apiary at Silsden next Monday evening, to spend winter quietly, in the dark, which is how they would live in the wild. They will have plenty of honey to see them through the winter, from all the bee friendly plants and trees they visited at Cliffe Castle, this year.

There are several pages of suggestions for the name of the new, blue, queen. Well done everyone who has taken part! This is the last week of the challenge, so don’t forget to let museum staff know what you think we should call her. The Observation Hive Team: Steve, Lee,

Anthony and I will choose our favourite next week. I’ll make sure you can find out the winning name and who suggested it on the Bee Blog at our Airedale Beekeepers Association website.

Linda