Hi Bill (Hughes), David (Eyre) and Betty (McAdam)
 
First of all, many thanks for reponding to my request for advice,
I mulled it over and plucked up enough courage to have a go last
Saturday - here's an update from Monday night's inspection.
 
CARNAGE! - Absolute carnage, there must be at least one or two
thousand dead bees lying on the ground in front of the hive along
with the shredded newspaper.  A carpet 10" by 14" of little bodies,
all with their tounges extended, stropping in submission? or a
response to being stung to death?  What a sad sight - what did I
do wrong?
 
At it seems that I have just managed to wipe out half the entire
population of one of my colonies, is there anything I can do to
redress the loss?  How about feeding heavily to stimulate the
queen to lay additional eggs as we still have 2 or 3 more weeks
to go before the first frosts begin to bite.
 
Cheers, Mike Pheysey.
Oldbury-on-Severn, Bristol, UK
(100 miles west of London)
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