Anybody taken any honey yet?

[bobandbec]

Was just wondering if conditions around the Country are the same as around me.
The colonies on the OSR are increasing in weight but the others (non OSR) I'm having to feed to keep them going.
Is it the same everywhere?

Peter

 

[MuswellMetro]

OSR here is nearly over and no flow at all, only two days above 15c

feeding most hives but a few that have half a super of liquid stores (apple orchard)

 

[george]

Much the same as Mm , feeding a few and the others have a super on here and there but an hour or two per day foraging weather isnt enough .
Rape going over now , Apple gone in the last couple of days .

G

 

[REDWOOD]

A little horse chestnut but not in the supers

 

[Skyhook]

At last weeks inspection I was surprised to find that the hive with a super on had nearly filled it, to the point where I added another. they're next to OSR but I can't imagine theyve got much from that with the temperatures we've had, I suspect it's mostly dandelion and apple. Very odd to see them on the edge of rape, and all flying in the opposite direction.

 

[justme]

almost nothing coming in from the rape here. Not enough good weather for much increase, just keeping them a day or two ahead. Mainly dandelion and apple (two apiaries) here also.

 

[Silly Bee]

Checked mine Saturday, they are just holding their own. No surplus at all.

 

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

Super one hive one 3/4 full?

 

[YorkshireBees]

After reading the posts so far I almost don't like to say but from my 13 hives, 2-3 are not really storing much surplus but have enough stores in the brood box.
The other 10 have 2 or 3 supers on each and are storing like crazy!
My out apiaries are not directly next to OSR but within 0.25 - 0.5 miles of fields of it.

I am just waiting for them to cap the honey before I remove and start extraction.

OSR is still flowering strongly and MUST be giving a decent flow as I can't believe there is enough non-osr forage for the amount of nectar coming in!

Photos attached.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Took 45 lb off 2 hives yesterday 3 more hives to take some off in a couple of days

 

[sunshinemedic]

This time last year I had a super each hive. This year I have no surplus at all.
Can't fight mother nature!

 

[DorsetB]

Only 4 x supers of honey so far, partly capped. weather obviously not helping, but also found out from local farm manager that the acres and acres of OSR we had last year and the year before have all been replaced by..... pigs.

More money in bacon this year.

 

[susbees]

One hive with two supers nearly there...ASd it yesterday on one charged cell - sigh.

Several others fiddling about with one. Nearest OSR a mile off but been pretty windy and wet...oh and chill or hailing, but some coming in with dandelion and a bit of apple. Coming back up the hill this evening there's a field half a mile off that could be Spring-sown OSR just thinking about flowering...if not it's some other brassica. Anyhow, fingers crossed...never had OSR down there before....

 

[Queens59]

1 14x12 WBC on 2nd super, another on 1st super almost full. 2 poly hives: 1 with 1 almost full and another just started on 2nd...

 

[adrian wilford]

took feeders off last week, says it all, my friend, kept bees for over 70 years, said he has never known a year like it.

 

[Heather]

Those who have taken honey off- beware of starvation in this bizarre weather situation. Last year some extracted early and had colony loss soon after.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Those who have taken honey off- beware of starvation in this bizarre weather situation. Last year some extracted early and had colony loss soon after.

A very good and important point!

I use the Demaree method of swarm control and found last year that, as a by product, the bees filled the top brood box with honey as the brood hatched.

At first I was a bit frustrated as I wanted empty drawn comb to use for the next Demaree but instead I have ready made frames of stores to add to any hive that gets short!

 

[psafloyd]

My strongest colony had more than half filled one super, so I added another, but with this awful weather, there is a lot less there, now.

 

[madasafish]

I will be happy if my hives survive this year: honey will be a bonus.

 

[Stiffy]

Had a several supers nearly full in March but bees have needed it since

Talking to a bee farmer last weekend and he was saying OSR is a curse this year!
He is finding the weather is not warm enough for the bees to get out and collect enough to take fill frames. It is then going hard when its too cold for the bees to get out, so ends up with partly filled combs of set OSR in supers.
S