Perfect distance. I had to make this sentence longer because it was too short…
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@Michael_Bush any further and you spend way too much time travelling, petrol etc - It makes a nice triangle with my normal place of work so win, win all around for me.
Now I’m sorting out the equipment I can afford to “lose” if it goes belly up. 2 full hives with 2 brood boxes and a super each,
Will have all my Flow hives at my Home Apiary
Ahhhhh, the Meles meles. Not the Mellivora capensis.
One is seen entering the area in bee suit and then others will come and remove your hives. My first were lost when set up in field, even with name and address and tele #s on box. Live today is not what it was fifty years ago. Sorry for the way we must hide and they should just be e have.
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My out apiary hives are green poly
Not much point in marking them. Thrives want only the bees and throw the box. Frame marks ar obliterated. Smart water is good but works only if you know who took them
Been out this morning to my girls sorting who is going and who is staying - I’m feeling inclined to put my 3 Virgin Nucs out and keep Emerald, Sapphire and Diamond for home.
Just checked on Diamond - she lays like her mother Emerald.
Emerald is doing such a good job on the Flow frames I don’t want to take them out.
Sapphire is the most wonderful temperament it would be silly to put her out.
So I have created a 3rd Nuc from Emerald - she was on Double brood.
So lets see how it goes
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Rain has put paid to my move to new apiary today. Girls are tidied in for the night and ready to go tomorrow depending on the weather.
They are in single brood boxes (one in Nuc) all I have to do is put them, extra equipment and hive stand in the car tomorrow all being well and dry - at least they were all out flying today.
The boxes are tied onto their screened bottom boards with crown boards and lids only, the hive are resting on their landing boards - just makes them lighter to move - QX’s, extra boxes and frames, rapid feeders, and poly carb quilts will all go over loose for ease of moving.
As per usual Emerald was a hive of activity - she has more bees flying than the other 5 put together.
Will try to document it if I can
Out Apiary. Slight disaster due to all the road bumps but no stings girls behaved well.
Well what a wonderful spot, the lucky girls, will you have separation / anxiety problems!!!
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I still have Emerald, Sapphire and Diamond at home
This is a huge achievement Valli, I love all your post, thank you so much, and here looking forward to some wormer weather.
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Sorry about the spelling
Just south of Melbourne Australia, it’s cold and wet.
My old stomping ground! I used to live at Cheltenham until I was almost 19 then at Kew for 7 years- pretty much been in the UK since
I went to school in Melbourne and came down here in my late 20s. The Mornington Peninsula has change a lot in the past 30 odd years, really it’s almost a suburb of Melbourne now.
So sad.
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I had a boy friend I went to William Angliss College with and he lived down there. In those days it was more a holiday or beach day out type of place - I do miss the beaches. Used to cycle down to Mentone on my bike
Yes the beaches are wonderful, the Bass strait rollers are thundering in now. We are lucky to have some Hooded Plovers down on the back beach, they nest there most years, but no chicks hatched this last season. I will take picture for you.
All the best, night.
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It is a lovely spot.
Just one thing worries me. Those hives are very brightly coloured and when the trees drop their leaves in the autumn they will easily be seen from those houses. Do you think that might be a problem?
Also…who owns that camper van? I notice it was there in the last video.
When you get more time those colonies might be better on a separate stand so that you have room for splits next year.
Good luck 
They are neighbours, all private property but cannot be seen from the road as it is behind the houses.
I think 6 hive will be enough - I was going to combine before winter. Jut see what the rest of this summer brings