The strong hive is still taking syrup over 2liters so far and I took nothing from them so they obviously had problems building up their own supplies. It is rather strange as there are plenty of fields, woods and gardens around them.

The weak hive is however a problem, they are not taking the syrup or very little anyway. They were flying a couple of weeks ago when we had a mild spell and were ejecting the drones (Lots of fighting around the entrance. I first thought there might be robbing taking place but on closer inspection the drones were being forcefully ejected.)

The bees are there but when I carefully looked either end by just moving the follower boards to one side. All I could see was uncapped empty comb. I wanted to investigate further but it was cold even though it was a sunny day so I thought better of it.

I am concerned they are not taking the syrup but ‘you can lead a horse to water, you cannot make it drink!’ I have to assume they know what they are doing and have enough supplies. I will keep them topped up with syrup just in case and move over to fondant later on in the year/early next.

I will be surprised if the weak hive lasts the winter but only time will tell.

Check out my new ebook  Natural Beekeeping Using Top Bar Hives

About Clive

First an important announcement, as well as being available on Kindle both books are  now available as PDF ebook versions on my Guardianscifi website for instant download at a special Christmas price of $3.00 (£2 GBP).  The normal price will be $6.00 (£4.00 GBP).

Recently a friend of mine suggested I should add an interactive page to my website to make it more interesting. She suggested a game or competition based on my books with some sort of prize at the end.

I thought about her suggestion for a while and decided to give it a go. I quickly dismissed the idea of a game as it was far beyond my limited programming skills. A competition of some sort, if it was fairly simple but still interactive might however be within my capabilities. I searched the net for ideas and as luck would have it found a website where it was possible to create a quiz and then embed it into a web page.

I made a list of questions and answers based on my first book Guardian. I organised them in order so as to reflect the order in which the story in the book unfolds. I also made sure the answers were available on the web if you know where to look  (or you can of course buy the book!).

The site that hosts the quiz allows a player to register and record their score. I have used that facility so I can offer the incentive of a prize to those who  reach 100%

To ensure there is no cheating I can see how many times a person has completed the quiz. Genuine contestants who manage 100% will be entered into a draw to win one of three free, signed copies of Guardian Generations.

So what are you waiting for? Give my quiz a go!

About Clive

Just a short entry today to inform everyone that my books are now available on Kindle.

The book files have been optimised for all the Kindle enabled devices:
Kindle
Kindle DX
Kindle 1st Generation
Kindle 2nd Generation
Kindle for PC
Kindle for Mac
iPad Kindle
iPhone Kindle
Android Kindle
Kindle for Blackberry

The text to speech function is also enabled.

The Amazon product numbers are
ASIN B004BLK5PY for Guardian
ASIN B004BLK66W for Guardian Generations

They are must have additions to your Kindle library and hours of reading pleasure for less than a round of drinks!

As a reminder of what they are about the back cover blurb is copied below:

Guardian
Having retired for a quiet life in an isolated part of the country following an unsuccessful and debilitating experiment by the Navy, Tristan Taylor’s life is turned upside down by the arrival of Aurelia- an alien warrior whose fighter has crash-landed behind his cottage!

With the realisation that he can ‘feel’ the alien’s thoughts and with the knowledge that the previously failed brain implant can now interface with the alien’s computers. Tristan begins his quest to end the rule of the dominant Dacian people and bring peace and equality to all races.

Guardian Generations

RAF fighter pilot James Taylor is abducted by an alien craft as he flies his Typhoon over Scotland. He’s unaware that his uncle, Tristan who disappeared without trace many years ago, had been targeted by aliens and is now one of the ‘Guardians’ of space, a specially selected and highly trained race with telepathic powers.

As Tristan’s daughter hurtles towards Earth to find more people capable of becoming Guardians, on another planet and evil scheme to ‘cleanse the galaxy’ of all synthetic life forms is gathering pace. James unwittingly becomes part of the plan, and is tasked with countering the threat of Guardian Artificial Intelligences.

Stardrive technology is in overdrive, space pirates are amassing, and a secret passed down through generations is revealed. But a time-bomb is ticking – is there still time to bring peace to the galaxy.

About Clive