There's obviously been nothing to report for months now. The hive just looks like an empty box out there in the garden. I have occasionally caught a glimpse of something moving if I look directly into the front entrance but even that could just be my imagination! There was a day back in November when I saw hundreds of them flying in and out, but apart from that there's been no sign of life at all.I've become slightly paranoid that the hive actually IS just an empty box out there in the garden - we've had a longer and colder winter than I remember for years around here. It just seems impossible that they're actually managing to survive out there in it!
Just after Christmas and before this latest cold snap I found over 200 dead bees outside the front entrance. They looked like the bodies had only recently been turfed out the front door as they weren't damaged by the morning's frost at all, they just seemed freshly dead! Rather worrying, but there's nothing I can do to help them for weeks yet - I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed and wait...!
