The last two weeks have certainly been busy around here. We have been sending out and catching some early swarms. We are checking and adding supers as needed. We are getting ready to get package bees and even make some splits (if queens are available). The KSBA Spring Meeting at Camp Crescendo was well attended, but not at capacity, and the speaker presentations were excellent. I will not promise, or say, that I will use every idea I get from this type of meeting, but I get a lot of ideas I do use, and the others may come in handy someday foir me oir somebody else. The pre-registration is open now for the KSBA Summer meeting at the Walter T. Kelley Company campus in Clarkson on June 5, 2010. You can get the form and more info at the KSBA website. These meetings and bee school are definitely worth attending.
In the last few days, the locust bloom seems to have started. Of course, it comes with cool, rainy, windy weather! Sometimes I think locust trees are stimulated to bloom by a cool, damp weather system. On the other hand, we were getting a little short on rain and given the choice of cool, damp, wet locust bloom, or a no kidding drought situation, I will give up the locust honey. This year we should get a significant clover honey crop. I say should, but I really mean could. We have had very little clover the last 2 to 3 years due to several situations occuring at the same time. The first is drought stress on the plants. Another is graziers have been forced by dry weather to feed hay earlier in the fall and later in spring than usual. This high demand for hay coupled with slow growth due to drought meant that a lot of acres that normally could produce a significant clover bloom simply never got to the blooming stage. I have spoken to quite a few other beekeepers who did not get as much from goldenrod or ironweed blooms in the fall as they usually get. Hopefully, this year we will get the moisture, the flying weather, and the bloom we need to make a good crop of clover and summer/fall honey. Personally, I think that darker honey tastes better anyway.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Honey Hills findings
Worked bees all day last Friday and most of saturday. not in bad condition, but way behind normal. They have used at least twice what I have had to feed in past years. Decent brood patterns all things considered, but very little drone brood at this point. Mites were active in only one hive, so I feel good about that discounting fact of very little drone brood. Found 2 more starved in last 5 weeks with honey 2 frames away. Sudden March and February shifts created the perfect storm for border line hives.
Observations from the Mabrey Apiary
April 8, 2010 Earlier I said that the plants seemed to be about two weeks or so behind in their blooming schedule.
That's no longer apparently true.
In most years, trees and other plants usually seem to bloom in an orderly sequence. This year, they appeared to be starting on this sequence about two weeks later than in previous years. Now the situation has changed again. The plants, and most trees in particular, are blooming right now, all at pretty much the same time. For my bees, this has caused a pretty good nectar flow already.
Most of my colonies have at least one super on, and some are getting close to needing another. Now is not the time to crowd the bees, unless you want to watch swarms leaving. Remember the queen needs plenty of room for the brood nest (Her laying activity is going wide open throttle right now.), and the bees still need cells for nectar processing and honey/pollen storage.
Most colonies should be ready to draw comb on new foundation now. It never hurts to have extra frames of drawn comb around. A frame or two of capped honey in the freezer is also nice to have if you need it later.
If you are planning to make or sell nucs or splits, be sure you will have queens available for them. A lot of the package bee/queen producers in the south are sold out for this spring
already. If you have not ordered your queens or packages yet, you'd better do it today. If there are bees available, finding them is likely to be tough. Expect to do a lot of dialing and holding. Local Kentucky queens will not usually be available until the middle part of May. You might have some luck by watching the website posts on KSBA web page (Look in the "Links" section on the left side of the page.).
I hope you are all doing well and having fun with your beeyards.
That's no longer apparently true.
In most years, trees and other plants usually seem to bloom in an orderly sequence. This year, they appeared to be starting on this sequence about two weeks later than in previous years. Now the situation has changed again. The plants, and most trees in particular, are blooming right now, all at pretty much the same time. For my bees, this has caused a pretty good nectar flow already.
Most of my colonies have at least one super on, and some are getting close to needing another. Now is not the time to crowd the bees, unless you want to watch swarms leaving. Remember the queen needs plenty of room for the brood nest (Her laying activity is going wide open throttle right now.), and the bees still need cells for nectar processing and honey/pollen storage.
Most colonies should be ready to draw comb on new foundation now. It never hurts to have extra frames of drawn comb around. A frame or two of capped honey in the freezer is also nice to have if you need it later.
If you are planning to make or sell nucs or splits, be sure you will have queens available for them. A lot of the package bee/queen producers in the south are sold out for this spring
already. If you have not ordered your queens or packages yet, you'd better do it today. If there are bees available, finding them is likely to be tough. Expect to do a lot of dialing and holding. Local Kentucky queens will not usually be available until the middle part of May. You might have some luck by watching the website posts on KSBA web page (Look in the "Links" section on the left side of the page.).
I hope you are all doing well and having fun with your beeyards.
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