Royal flush

The queen of the leaf-cutter bees arrived this morning and immediately she made herself at home. Unlike other varieties of bees this queen takes a very active role when it comes to cleaning, tidying and preparing her 'hive' in readiness for laying her eggs. She was pulling, pushing and shoving out all of last year's build up of rubbish. 'She was flushing out the chambers!'

I was amazed at how much rubbish she evacuated in just a few short minutes. Whilst I was looking at the insect house I could see one of the plugs in the top row that had been placed there by the earlier visiting bees, being moved or pushed very slightly from the inside. I kept going back to the insect house in the hope of seeing something come out from the sealed bamboo but as it was getting dark and activity around the would be 'hive' ceased the 'plug' had stopped moving. Hopefully, if I am lucky, I may see what emerges from this sealed hole tomorrow.

Plug in top row beginning to come out

Queen bee over entrance of one of the chambers

Queen bee pulling out last year's rubbish

Queen bee just letting go of some of last year's rubbish sending it tumbling out of the chamber

Today is the first day of the seventh month - we are more than half-way through the year. The most notable day of the month is July 15th or St Swithin's day ... if it rains on St Swithin's day it is said that it will rain for a full forty days and forty nights. We had so much rain last year that let us hope that it doesn't rain on this St Swithin's day.