If it looks like a flow...

[jd101k2000]

I am just starting this thread to see if other people are having a similar experience.

One of my colonies has been behaving as if it is the middle of summer. Constant traffic and queuing at the door. (Admittedly, the entrance was still reduced.) Over the last week, I have had varroa inspection boards in as I was inspecting for varroa. Last night and this morning, I spotted bees at the entrance, fanning in lines (like summer). The varroa board was constantly wet (not damp). There appeared to be bees escaping through the mesh floor.

Went to change the floor.

The super on top that had some unsealed honey at the end of last year was now full of nectar... some of it close to sealing. The bees were not escaping through the floor, but appears to be cramming in there to aid ventilation. A small piece of wild comb even had some drone brood. The centre of the super had LOTS of day old eggs (I only removed one frame). Also saw a handful of recently emerged drones, still wobbly on their legs.

The hive is a Paynes Poly hive and seems to have got them out of the starting gate really fast. Put on an extra super and a QX over the existing super.

Looks like the reason it looked like a flow was on is that there was a flow on!

Entrance is now fully open!

 

[Ely]

I inspected mine yesterday. I was going to leave them a while but it was like a summers day and I'll be away for a while so I decided to inspect. I'm glad I did. Although one of my hives was only on 3 frames of brood, the other had 8 frames of brood (commercial 16x10) and were boiling with bees, nectar coming in also. I put a super on as they are bringing something in. Just shows that beekeeping is very specific to you and yours and had I just followed the consensus of 'too early blah blah' I'd have risked losing a swarm if id have left it a few weeks. Lots of drones and drone brood also.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Of what though? it's imminent I admit - some plum tree will be flowering in a couple of days, but otherwise - nada! llandyfan, not even willow opening yet, some started with me last weekend, bees were working the gorse as far as i could tell, if there was something else they usually ignore it. They're piling in pollen yes, and i suspect what they are doing is moving stores around to make room for brood. I hope to be proven wrong, but around here we usually have to wait a fair while yet.

 

[jd101k2000]

It was my understanding that there is little, if any nectar around... perhaps that is what they have done - rehydrated their stores and emptied out the brood nest. Would they then be fanning at the entrance/under the floor?

Their neighbouring colony is busy, but the other two at that site are more what I would expect for this time of year. Bringing in pollen, but not 'built up in strength yet'.

I won't be going into the other hives for a couple of weeks yet.

Nice to see them looking so healthy.

 

[Ely]

Plum has already been flowering here. Shed loads of fruit trees down a river path that stretches a mile or so next to the house. There is a fort that sits on a fair few acres of land and they usually let the grass, wild flowers, dandelions etc grow up until autumn so that will be next in a few weeks.

 

[Ely]

Ah but there is nowt in Wales but fields n 'mountains'(hills)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

'mountains'(hills)

That's rich from a boy from Norfolk they get altitude sickness going upstairs! !

 

[Ely]

That's rich from a boy from Norfolk they get altitude sickness going upstairs! !

Hey I'm from Sheffield! The city of steel built on 7 hills! I thought I was getting out of breath going up stairs but altitude sickness sounds more impressive (Actually, I admit I was born in Yarmouth. Takes a brave person to admit that.) I remember when I first moved to Sheffield when I was 10, I was quite tired all of the time. I don't know if that was because of the altitude or if it was the effort of trying my hardest to get rid of the Norfolk accent

 

[madasafish]

Yellow pollen in bucketloads. Nectar coming in as well..what from? No idea..

 

[REDWOOD]

I know I'm a bit lower down than you but dandelion pollen is coming in in the bucket loads

 

[Erichalfbee]

Willow out here...that's a nectar source.
First inspection two days ago revealed a drone layer which I assassinated this afternoon. In those 2 days the bees have filled a whole 14x12 frame with fresh nectar. There may be more but I stopped looking when I found HM.

 

[jd101k2000]

Re-examined the removed floor. The varroa mesh was slightly proud and it looks as if bees were going through commando-style to get to the cavity above the varroa board, but below the mesh. Will put in some more screws to hold it down.

Looking around: the forsythia is in bloom; the catkins are falling off the pussy willows; the apples look fit to bloom, but have not started yet; the gorse is out; and there is a flower in the hedgerows that I cannot identify; one or two dandelions are out. I'm wondering if it is something like sycamore giving the bees nectar. (Yesterday, saw a holly blue in the garden.)

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sycamore is a very good nectar source for the bees but nowhere near out here.

 

[mbc]

Good flow here too, many colonies needing more space asap. Willow the main suspect

 

[user 6228]

Good flow here too, many colonies needing more space asap. Willow the main suspect

definitely dandelion round here ... bees taking a pollen bath by the look of it.

 

[mbc]

No sign of the yellow greasy look here yet.

 

[blackie]

Moved 14 hives to sissinghurst on Saturday right on 170 acres of rape and they've been flat out today on it but what confuses me is that 13 hives on rape pollen and one hive only taking in wood anemone pollen any ideas ?

 

[jd101k2000]

Just went down to the apiary to listen - they are in full 'air con' mode and there is a lovely apiary smell. From the smell, I would guess willow is the culprit.

 

[Dishmop]

and one hive only taking in wood anemone pollen any ideas ?

Probably the first thing they found..

 

[Swarm]

Noticed fields of Rape starting to show colour around Abergavenny and Monmouth.