After some delay due to adverse weather I finally received my package of bees from Easybee products ltd.

I was told to watch their video on installing their bee package. Luckily for me I had also done a lot of research on the net and watched several different Youtube videos.

The Easybee instruction video says nothing about removing the plastic cover over the end of the queen cage to expose the fondant plug. They were also to my mind extremely rough with the package. They must have squashed several bees banging the box on the hive!

Watch the clip here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjLVt_ui22s&feature=related

After getting my bees home I prepared my hive by removing half of the bars. I then sprayed the bee package with syrup (50:50 sugar, water mix) and put it to one side. I made sure I had my bee brush and filled the feeder jar with more syrup then carried everything down to the hive.

I had to say I was a little nervous as I kitted up with my bee suit. I sprayed the package with more syrup then gingerly lifted the flap on the corex box so I could slide out the queen cage.

The bees were quite calm and only a few came out clinging to the queen cage. I checked her Majesty was alive after shaking off the clinging bees, removed the plastic cover covering the fondant plug and then wired the cage to the fourth bar from the end. I picked up the corex box and tapped it on the ground to ensure all the bees were in a heap on the bottom of the box.

I poured the bees into the hive. It is quite amazing they actually pour out of the box like lose sand. They started to crawl up the sides of the hive. I carefully brushed them aside so I could replace the topbars. Once all the bars were in position I slid the follower boards up against them closing the bees off. I opened only one entrance hole (The hive has three) so the bees can defend their new hive. I placed the feeder jar over the feeder block then replaced the roof and left them to it.

Feeder jar filled with syrup and placed on the feeder block

The package box I placed in front of the hive, as there was still a few bees clinging to it. I hoped they would find their way into the hive eventually. The feeder bottle in the package was almost empty so I just disposed of it. A couple of hours later I checked the corex  box and found it to be empty.  I cleaned the  box and stored it away as it would be useful for holding swarms or as a temporary Nuc.

Three days later I lifted the hive roof and gently slid the topbars apart so I could remove the queen cage. The cage was empty, the bees had released Her Majesty. They had taken all the syrup so I refilled the jar and closed up the hive.

Yesterday the bees had been in the hive for ten days. The day was sunny and warm so I though I would take a peek and see how things were going. The bees had been coming and going every fine day and bringing back a lot of pollen so they definitely looked like they were going to stay.

I lifted the roof and moved the follower boards so I could look in without disturbing them. (a real advantage with a topbar hive) I was pleased to find they had been very busy!

Bees built all that comb in 10 days!

The other end of the hive

I will wait another week before checking that the Queen is laying and there is capped brood in the comb

The proofs for Guardian Generations have been returned from the publisher. I now have to go through them and check for any errors or changes I don’t agree with then sign them off. Good job it is a wet weekend!

The back cover blurb has also been returned for approval. What do you think?

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?

I have not touched book three for ages. I will soon have to get on with it now Generations is nearing its publication!

Now that I was getting a higher click through rate I returned again to the bounce rate. (The number of people who arrive at the website then bounce away without going to another page on the site) I had used Google’s website optimiser for the front page and experimented with the content until it was the best I could get it. Unfortunately the bounce rate refused to go lower than 50%

After thinking long and hard I wondered if some of the trouble was the boring navigation. I was using a standard template design with text navigation tabs across the top of the website just like 75% of sites on the net.

I decided to redesign the site using a template that allowed icon navigation. After two days of hard work I had a new site ready to go live. I uploaded the site to my host server and waited for the analytics data to build up.

You can view the new site here www.guardianscifi.com

The bounce rate immediately reduced to around 35%. Result!

So if your not getting the bounce rate you expect from your website then perhaps try improving the navigation.  Make your visitor want to look at other pages on your site.

No update on Guardian Generations yet. The publisher has the cover artwork and the manuscript. I am waiting for the first edited version to come through from them.  For the latest news please visit www.guardianscifi.com

My Guardianscifi website is listed on several banner exchange sites. I have been getting some visitors from them but compared to the number of exposures of my banner the clicks were disappointingly few, usually two or three a day.

The banner I was using had been copied from my book cover. I thought it looked good but obviously most people did not and so would not click on it.

One of the banner exchange webmasters happened to say to me “Why don’t you make up a banner from some of your pictures?” I though about it and decided to  have a go. While I was looking round for ideas I read that animated banners work better than static ones. As luck would have it the article included a link to free GIF animation software,  GIFfun. You drag in static Jpeg pictures then adjust the time they are displayed on the screen.  If each picture is in sequence and slightly different you get an animated effect. The resultant file is in GIF format so it can be displayed by most web browsers.

I chose the picture I was going to use, one that had dark areas on either side for good contrast for light text. I chose “Don’t Mess With Me” I cut it down to banner size (480 x 60) Then added the first text using photoshop.

First In Banner Sequence

I then produced the next one in the sequence and saved each one in turn.

Second In Banner Sequence

I then dragged the pictures into GIFfun and adjusted the timing until it looked right.

The resulting banner is displayed below. The click rate has increased to double figures!

Shortly after posting my last blog I had an email from Robert Bell of Cornwall Honey who commented on the design of my hives. He had an issue with the hive entrances being in the side of the hive as per the Chandler design. His Cornish TBH design has end entrances. His argument was the Chandler design is apparently more or less a direct copy of the African TBH, which is fine for Africa. ‘Warm way’ entrances (perpendicular to the comb as opposed to ‘cold way’ which are in line with the comb) are preferable, if not a necessity, in cold or temperate climates such as UK to avoid the possibility of isolation starvation. He also said It should be noted that it is the colony’s instinct, in a horizontal cavity, to store at the rear of the nest, not on both sides which is an enforced response. He recommended I should read  R. Ribband, Social Behavior of Honeybees and Wedmore, The Ventilation of Beehives amongst others.

In response to his mail I replied that I too was a little concerned about expanding the hive in two directions. (I do know a little about bees as my father kept them for many years using Langstroths)

I did however like the idea of being able to gain access to both ends of the colony by just removing follower boards.   I told him I thought his design of expanding in one direction was better than having the colony in the middle of the hive. So I though I would try a compromise. My entrances are close to one end just giving me enough space to put a follower with a fitted entrance type feeder. (The feeder is then inside the hive but can still be replenished without disturbing the bees). I would leave them plenty of their own honey for the winter. The feeder being there as a spring boost and for any unexpected early shortages of nectar.

Full construction details are in my previous post

I intended to expand the hive in one direction away from the entrance end and leave the follower at the entrance end in the same position. I could then remove it to inspect that end of the colony if I needed to. In effect the hive is a combination, taking what I thought were the best features his and Chandlers designs.  For the winter I would block off all but one entrance and the hive will be in a sheltered position away from any wind so I was hoping the disadvantage of a ‘Cold Way’ entrance would be outweighed by being able to inspect from both ends minimizing disturbance.

Once the two hives were completed I put them in place at the bottom of the wood, which would be about 200ft from the house. Far enough away to avoid any problem with the neighbours should there be a swarm (I hope). I will try and manage the hives to prevent the bees from swarming but they are after all unpredictable wild creatures and accidents happen.

The wood slopes away from the house so I had to block the hives to ensure they were level. As can be seen from the pictures below I also painted the hives different colours to prevent ‘drift’ (where the bees go to the wrong hive) They are also about 40 feet apart so I should not have any problem.

Hive One

Hive Two

There does not seem to be much consensus as to the direction the hives  should be facing so I discussed it with my Father and decided to place them so the entrances faced east. The theory being the hives will be warmed by the morning sun encouraging the bees out early.

I placed swarm lures in both hives in the off chance they might attract a passing swarm however It is many years since I have seen a swarm of bees so it is probably a waste of time. The lures were only £5 from ebay so it was worth a try. The package bees I have ordered will be ready early in May. With everything ready for them I can’t wait!

No news on Guardian Generations yet however as I am currently in Scotland on holiday I can get on with book three.