Worried about the bees

You probably weren't aware that I'm an avid bee-keeper.  Since the summer, I've kept several hives on my Estate.  I so love the beeswax, honey and Royal Jelly that can be harvested, and I find the constant, gentle drone coming from the hives a calming influence.

Bee-keeping, of course, is an art and I recently had this bespoke hive made.  What do you think of it?

I've managed to produce a dozen jars of honey over the summer months; it's a bit of a messy job though.   As I don't like to get stung, I usually insert the vacuum cleaner pipe into the hive through a hole, switch on the machine and suck all the bees safely into the vacuum cleaner bag, before giving their hive a good clean and extracting the honey.   When I'm finished, I switch the vacuum cleaner on reverse mode, and the bees are shot at high speed back into their freshly-spruced hive.

 A vaccum cleaner Hoover bag fat with bees

 
I've been a bit worried about the bees during this cold weather.  I took this old gramophone out and placed it next to their hive, and played them some Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. 

 

In the end, I was just too worried about them, so I've placed their hive in the airing cupboard, on the second floor of the house, where they'll be nice and warm.

That reminds me: a few years ago, a French design-house sent me this bee-inspired cotton dress.  I might wear it soon.