OKEHAMPTON Beekeepers' fourth apiary meeting of the year visited Simon O'Sullivan's apiary near Bow.

The bees share Simon and Caroline's smallholding with a pair of friendly kune kune pigs, a flock of Shetland sheep, a bantam cockerel and an assortment of hens.

Inspections were performed by Ray King with 15 members attending the meeting. The first inspection was on Simon's conventional national hives.

The first hive was suspected of being without a queen.

After smoke was applied to the top box to drive a present queen into the brood box, there was no evidence to suggest a present queen. The colony was given a frame of eggs and brood from another of Simon's hives so the bees could raise a new queen if needed.

Several more hive inspections took place throughout the afternoon, with Ray and Louisa Mogford marking the queens. The afternoon's inspections were completed with an examination of Simon's top bar hive. Photographs of the inspection are available on http://www.okehamptonbee.co.uk">www.okehamptonbee.co.uk

The meeting then adjourned to Simon and Caroline's home for a bring and share tea.