are we short of forage

[Millet]

Put Hammond in charge of weather. He's not much use as Chancellor.

Be careful mentioning politics .. a good fellow member has been banned for such a silly thing..

 

[Jafer2]

My ladies are going at these at the moment. Pics taken yesterday

Alto of Himalayan balsam in the river side for them

 

[Amari]

Rain about mid September will do. Heather harvest to collect. Don't want bees confined to HQ and eating all their previously gathered nectar.

You'll be lucky if the drought pertains your way. Check the colour of the flowers (if any)
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=634219&postcount=2

 

[alldigging]

My ladies are going at these at the moment. Pics taken yesterday

Alto of Himalayan balsam in the river side for them

Are there bees actually on the flowers of any of them?

 

[Dogged]

I’m up near Kielder and the heather isn’t pinking up yet. Plenty of Scotch thistles and rosebay willow herb just now. And garden flowers too - our season is always late. But the RBW is very early this year - weird.

 

[Beefriendly]

You'll be lucky if the drought pertains your way. Check the colour of the flowers (if any)
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=634219&postcount=2

Luck has nothing to do with it. All is on schedule and looking good. Bell is out and bees are already collecting a crop of that. The Ling is pinking up nicely and will be out by August which is bang on time.
Heathland heather is a different kettle of fish.

 

[Jafer2]

Are there bees actually on the flowers of any of them?

Yes plenty of bees. These pics of flowers are next or on river bank. Went again today walking in the shallow part of the stream and could see so much balsam with bumble bees after them. Next to these flowers and those which I took all along the bank with honey bees. I think one of the photos I caught one of the bees in action

https://ibb.co/hhbuid

 

[Zante]

Went out for a drive and apparently clematis here has had a comeback, possibly due to the recent storm that soaked the soil, so I suppose my bees are mostly foraging that.

 

[foghornleghorn]

Luck has nothing to do with it. All is on schedule and looking good. Bell is out and bees are already collecting a crop of that. The Ling is pinking up nicely and will be out by August which is bang on time.
Heathland heather is a different kettle of fish.

You just missed the drought. Luck has everything to do with it

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Still no rain here Dorset / Somerset and everything is wilting. Brambles are over with no fruit setting - just crispy. Yet I'm having the best harvest in four years, but I don't understand how! I'm thinking oak and laurel - of which there is plenty around here. Laurel has extra floral nectaries and oak has aphids and sticky secretions that cover your car overnight. I don't know what else there is in abundance but the bees are very actively foraging and all heading off in one direction.

 

[beebopper]

You just missed the drought. Luck has everything to do with it

Yep difficult to control weather really. Over 9 weeks without any significant rain. Dry as a bone.

 

[Beefriendly]

You just missed the drought. Luck has everything to do with it

No mate, we have had one thunderstorm in the last three months. We haven't missed the drought.
The North Yorks moors are one vast water reservoir....dry and crispy on top but lots of water still underneath. You can see it where they have cut the hay, the fields are green up there, but brown everywhere else.
Think gigantic sponge that is still slowly drying out.
Of course I might get it totally wrong the heather may not yield. But if I don't take some hives up there I won't find out will I?
Currently all looks to be on on usual schedule.

 

[foghornleghorn]

No mate, we have had one thunderstorm in the last three months. We haven't missed the drought.
The North Yorks moors are one vast water reservoir....dry and crispy on top but lots of water still underneath. You can see it where they have cut the hay, the fields are green up there, but brown everywhere else.
Think gigantic sponge that is still slowly drying out.
Of course I might get it totally wrong the heather may not yield. But if I don't take some hives up there I won't find out will I?
Currently all looks to be on on usual schedule.

You were lucky to get that thunderstorm, could've done with one here

 

[Beefriendly]

You were lucky to get that thunderstorm, could've done with one here

It didn't do much good. Not enough of it.

 

[Helen]

Bliss! Rain!!!! First since beginning of April.

Such a shame it's on the best blood moon lunar eclipse this century, so hidden by clouds.

But it's rain!!!! Almost as good.

 

[Millet]

It didn't do much good. Not enough of it.

It absolutely lashed down here 1hr ago it has eased of for now but it is still coming down heavy..puddles every where..

 

[Amari]

Bliss! Rain!!!! First since beginning of April.

Such a shame it's on the best blood moon lunar eclipse this century, so hidden by clouds.
But it's rain!!!! Almost as good.

Same county as you but the rain was akin to a fart in a colander.......
Our community email service 'Jungle Drums' alerted us to the once-in-a-century blood moon - to no avail - blanket cloud.
Earlier in the evening I watered selected crops on the allotment with a hose (still allowed). Aiming the stream at various holes I associate with voles it was impossible to fill the holes with water. As fast as the water entered it disappeared, (tested for one minute).

 

[Erichalfbee]

Stupid little shower here despite threatening clouds all day.
Sunday shows diluvian promise

 

[Beefriendly]

Stupid little shower here despite threatening clouds all day.
Sunday shows diluvian promise

Sunday is one of the bigger food festivals round here, Saltburn-By-The Sea. Rain and 30+ mile per hour winds forecast. On one hand, with hives on the moors, I'm very pleased..on the other hand just glad I moved on a load of last years honey today. It could be a loss making festival. Nowt worse than packing up damp and drenched with no money in your pocket.

 

[Helen]

Same county as you but the rain was akin to a fart in a colander........

Well, it's all over A great thunderstorm, some rain that actually made things damp, a bit of wind blew through, and then 40 mins later, done. But still clouds so much look at the lunar eclipse via video.