Bee update

The hive with the 'laying worker' problem seems to have righted itself!

I checked them today as the weather has been hot for the last 4-5days and they where flying well and busy bringing in pollen.
To my surprise, I found a good laying pattern three frames of capped brood and another three frames of eggs and larvae. All being laid with just one egg to a cell!

There are a few drone cells but I did not notice any drones in the hive, although no doubt they would be out flying looking for a virgin queen.

I assume that I do indeed have a queen although I could not find her. Maybe the bad winter and long cold spring effected her condition/health which influenced her lay pattern?

There were three empty queen cells also , so I will have to have regular inspections to avoid a swarm as I would prefer to split the hive.
I have my last bee meeting of the season this evening and I will order two more nucs. I don't expect to get them till the start of July. It will just be a matter of feeding them heavily to build them up to a full hive and hope they store enough to survive the winter.

My current enemy in the garden are the slugs and snails. There are many thousands. You can't walk anywhere without them being there!

They are a problem in the tunnel but not as bad. The heat and dryness is not suiting them. They have consumed numerous pumpkin, cucumber and courgette plants, so after milking in the late evening I go to the tunnel with a sharp scissors and 'remove' them!! Revenge!

The pigs are settling in well. All they do is eat and sleep!
And Mama Moo is loving all the good grass!