Bee prepared for spring

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South London workers: busy Kairos bees pictured today at the entrance to their hive.
South London workers: busy Kairos bees pictured today at the entrance to their hive.

The spring inspection of Kairos beehives has revealed that only three hives have survived the winter. However, the good news is that this morning at least one hive in Streatham has an active queen. It is only when she is laying eggs that the worker bees go out to forage, returning to the hive with full pollen sacs (the yellow pouches on their back legs) to feed the larvae.

“We’re not giving up on our bees because they do such a valuable job pollinating our gardens and crops,” says Kairos director Mossie Lyons. “I’ve just ordered two new hives and they will arrive in May.” In the meantime, Kenny and his beekeepers are cleaning and rebuilding the empty hives ready for their new occupants. “If our bees swarm, we’ll be ready.”