Likewise here Nigel, combination of warm flying weather and prolonged Ivy pollen, weird but welcome (I think).
Steamed out some old pollen clogged and ropey brood combs at the weekend, plus a few other knackered frames. Interested to see some boiled wax moth larvae on the top bars when I dismantled the steamer. No visible sign of them at all on the combs when i was sorting them but obviously dug well in and nigh invisible. If I had left them in the stacks until next April could have been a right pain. Just goes to show overwintering brood combs has to done with care. I usually only overwinter relatively pale drawn brood comb, but as our winters are getting ever milder maybe we need to take more care.
Steamed out some old pollen clogged and ropey brood combs at the weekend, plus a few other knackered frames. Interested to see some boiled wax moth larvae on the top bars when I dismantled the steamer. No visible sign of them at all on the combs when i was sorting them but obviously dug well in and nigh invisible. If I had left them in the stacks until next April could have been a right pain. Just goes to show overwintering brood combs has to done with care. I usually only overwinter relatively pale drawn brood comb, but as our winters are getting ever milder maybe we need to take more care.