are we short of forage

[stoneleighhouse]

beards of bees on the front of the hives, no sign of swarming or swarm cells, no sign of rain ,are we running short of forage?
Just been up to the heather its trying to bloom but dry , crispy and bleached

 

[foghornleghorn]

beards of bees on the front of the hives, no sign of swarming or swarm cells, no sign of rain ,are we running short of forage?
Just been up to the heather its trying to bloom but dry , crispy and bleached

Nothing here only some pollen from thistles and rape. Bees are very eager to rob atm

 

[Bee Bumble]

No forage in my area, Lime, Blackberry and Heather have all failed. Just a few wild flowers but with no nectar. The heather is actually dying - we are on sand. We have not had any rain for at least 7 weeks. The bees are eating their stores and few bees bother to go foraging. The ground / vegetation has a burnt caramel-like odour when we walk in the evening. Lots of smaller conifers are browning, Oaks are dying at their tops. This will probably be our worst harvest ever.

 

[Stiffy]

Really heavy rain yesterday morning and earlier today in the far SW.
Even though bramble is very nearly finished and it is starting to slow a little, there is still a flow on from several of my apiary sites.
Have one site on heather and looking forward to see if they are bringing it in this weekend.
S

 

[philipm]

Bees still on brambles here and are just starting the Rose Bay Willow herb.Nice drop of rain yesterday morning will help hopefully.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Bramble is probably about to finish - bees have done well on it over the past few weeks.

 

[Finman]

.
Beard of bees. The hive is too full. Add box.

They cannot forage if hive is full.

 

[Swarm]

.
Beard of bees. The hive is too fill. Add box.

They cannot forage if hive is full.

 

[stoneleighhouse]

thanks guys ,done that, obvious when somebody else mentions it isn't it !!!!!!

 

[gregior]

Checked mine today and was really disappointed to see they've added nothing atall during the last 10 days although we have lots of clover and rosebay in flower.Had a really good downpour yesterday that gave the ground a good soaking so hopefully a flow may start again soon.

 

[alldigging]

blackberry has fruited.
balsam is flowering but bashing parties planned locally.

autumn raspberries fruited last month.

 

[Karsal]

Himalayan balsam is struggling due to the dry weather. The downpour yesterday may perk it up a bit but it's a third of the area around my apiary that has grown this season so not expecting much from the balsam. Rosebay willow herb in full bloom along the railway embankment so that may produce some flow.

 

[Millet]

Mine have never stopped but i wish they would calm down, extracted a jam packed brood box the other day.. not sure where they are finding it but the two streams and marsh land give me a clue..

 

[Eyeman]

As well as no extra stores some of mine have had a significant brood break, even the nucs. Interesting in that there is plenty of stored pollen and honey.

 

[Finman]

Have you forgotten honey dew?

 

[Beagle23]

No rain in my part of Surrey for 9 weeks but there's still some forage coming in.
I'm seeing the bees all over the kind of garden plants you usually only see bumbles on, so maybe they're falling back on to a plan B.

 

[Walrus]

Here the bramble is now fruit and the rosebay willowherb is nearly over. My queens have slowed laying right down. Today I saw some of my bees on ragwort. No balsam yet. There is a field of pumpkins next to my apiary so maybe they will get something off that.

I have already taken most honey off and started varroa treatment. Also, wasps are beginning to hassle nucs.

 

[wightbees]

Sea Lavender, lots of it too

 

[peteinwilts]

Mine have never stopped but i wish they would calm down, extracted a jam packed brood box the other day.. not sure where they are finding it but the two streams and marsh land give me a clue..

No shortage of honey here. Even my hives on the parched downs are piling it in.

There is a lot of very heavy dew at the crack of dawn. I suspect the shallow rooted wildflowers are using it.

 

[AndyTh]

No shortage of honey here. Even my hives on the parched downs are piling it in.

There is a lot of very heavy dew at the crack of dawn. I suspect the shallow rooted wildflowers are using it.

Grazing/hay sainfoin and lucerne grown on thin chalk soils are v drought resistant, if I remember from Agri courses at Reading Uni in the '70s. Is there any growing in pastures near you in Wilts?