My joy wasn't long-lived. I went to see how the swarm had settled into their new abode and top up their feed should they need it. It was grey, but it had stopped raining for a while, so I decided to chance opening the nucleus box.

Disbelief followed. Gone, all gone. Well not quite all, there was a pile of dead bees at the bottom of the box. The rest? I wish I knew. I think maybe they swarmed again? The stragglers were consigned to die where I thought I had placed them safely.

The weather has been abysmal, and I think the bees had made a very bad choice in swarming the first time around, so maybe that was the beginning of the end for them. I don't know. My bee mentor doesn't know.

It does make me feel very sad though.