This year to date has been again one of weather extremes - a sunny April, wet May, dry June - and yet the temperatures have been low - especially at night and with a cool breeze. This has reduced the activity of my bees and noticeably slower start. but I have taken the first honey and now is ready for eating - and it is good. A little darker than the usual early season honey but I suspect this is due to the wider variety of flowers that this year has offered with a later honey take.

I was walking nearby and spotted the bee in the photo on the road.

It was pretty poorly and lacking in energy possibly caused by the pinky mites it was carrying - they were not Varroa, I have seen these on honeybees, but a mite that scurries around and appears to be causing the bee a lot of distress.

I tried to remove them before leaving her on a Buddlea flower in the hope she could feed and recover.

Any ideas about the mites she was carrying?