Make honey while the sun shines

We have been having unusually fine weather for late autumn.  Yesterday morning was warm and sunny with a temperature of 17°C which is better than we had for most of the summer.  The bees were out in force to make the most of it.  The hive entrances are deliberately kept small at this time of year so this can lead to a bit of congestion.

Lots of foragers were returning with bright chrome yellow pollen - they must have found flowers nearby although I didn't see them foraging in the garden.  I think it is most likely to be ivy pollen, although that is said to be dull yellow or black according to Wikipedia.

There were also still a few wasps around trying to slip past the guards.

Most of the time they were repelled but this one managed to breach security.

The forecast is for cooler weather after today so the bees will realise it isn't spring already and will go back to their normal routine.