The bees are already sealing their hives for the winter ahead

Ryall, Dorset The wax cells are studded with pollen gems in carnelian, citrine, garnet - an almanac of the seasons

The bees think it's autumn. Since mid-July they have been reducing their numbers and sealing up the hives with propolis. Dark brown, sticky when fresh, brittle as cinder toffee when dry, propolis is a glue bees make from tree sap. It's antimicrobial and despite its bitter taste some beekeepers chew it as a remedy for a sore throat.

Bees use propolis to fill small gaps in the hive and to mummify any invaders that are too big for them to carry outside. Occasionally, you find a dead mouse inside a hive its body shrouded in propolis, pieces of varnished bone showing through as if fossilised. The ancient Egyptians revered bees and it is thought they might have learned the principle of mummification from them.