Low in stores

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Joined
Sep 7, 2015
Messages
792
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Location
East Yorkshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
16
Has anyone else noticed low stores at this time of the year? Its not been caused by swarms taking a load with them. They have low stores, but plenty of brood. I have decided to feed 1-1 syrup to the worst ones and its not caused by me taking honey off. I would have expected more stores in the brood boxes and supers at this time of the year, even here in East Yorks.
 
I've got two a/s splits that are being fed 1:1 mainly because the weather hasn't been consistent these last few weeks.
My nucs are being fed to.
All in all though my colonys have stores.

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Mine are mostly ok because they brought in a lot of spring honey which they are eating. Little for me this year.
Just a nuc to feed.
 
I’m feeding all colonies without supers on, as there’s no summer this year in SW Scotland.
May was nice, we had 2-3 days of 22c. June/July were awful, struggle to recall the last sunny day of full force flying, 13-17c and cloudy throughout.
 
Mine are mostly ok because they brought in a lot of spring honey which they are eating. Little for me this year.

Just a nuc to feed.
Same here dani, I left spring honey.
Our summer crop is looking a bit dismall so far, the summer weather on the hill has been coldish and wet so far.

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Yes there doesn't seem much out there for them even when it's not raining. And bees have now started hunting about among hive bits&pieces in the garage, and they're not scouts.
 
Yes, Plenty of bees working dawn to dusk, but the stores just have not been building up as they should. Lime is over, bramble almost gone, and HB is reduced because of the early near-drought. It's not going to be a good year!
 
Supers filling up very slowly here in South Suffolk. Stores ok but what's happened to the summer flow?
 
Sorry but it's all good here!!!!!!

I'm too close to Glastonbury where there are (too) many 'save the bees' hives.
 
Yes same here. No honey in the brood box at all. And a lack of pollen. Been feeding my nuc’s. NE Scotland. Think it’s a worse summer than last year.
 
Supers filling up very slowly here in South Suffolk. Stores ok but what's happened to the summer flow?

With me I'd said my supers are going down in weight. I think I'll take off what I have soon and then see what happens, I don't want to start feeding yet really.

The hot and dry weather we had a few weeks ago messed everything up and I don't think I'll get much of a summer crop.
 
We have had a lot of unsettled weather, and days where it has just poured down; it has been feeling chilly as well.

Most of the hives are piled high with supers but nothing has been finished yet. I think the brambles will finish soon and there is plenty of clover but it is not warm enough to get a good flow from it.

A few nucs have had to be fed, but most of them are fine.

Interestingly we have had a lot of pollen from rosebay willowherb coming in at a couple of apiaries and normally we don't get any of that.
 
I’m feeding all colonies without supers on, as there’s no summer this year in SW Scotland.
May was nice, we had 2-3 days of 22c. June/July were awful, struggle to recall the last sunny day of full force flying, 13-17c and cloudy throughout.

Similar situation here for feeding smaller hives and even some that had a single super have emptied it and have little in the brood box. Larger hives stores have also went backwards.


May was beautiful, lots of high teen days reaching 24c and blue skies although nearly too dry and that went on to the start of June where the weather flipped with temps as low as 12 and we now have grey skies and rain almost every day; if there is a good spell of weather its limited to an afternoon.
 
I actually had some spring honey, its being eaten now of course and I am feeding a 'split' I made in June.

We have had some dry and bright days, perhaps a bit better than the SW of Scotland - its grey and cool again today though and yesterday my heating came on - its set at 17 degrees!!
 
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Sorry but it's all good here!!!!!!

Funnily enough same for me! :)

Not tonnes, but comparable to last year - possibly a little more.

I don't extract in spring currently as there never seems to be much.
 
Supers filling up very slowly here in South Suffolk. Stores ok but what's happened to the summer flow?

Same here in Mid Suffolk. Bounteous spring crop (lots of OSR) but very poor flow since - the worst that I can remember. However local farmer says he may not sow OSR next year because of the ravages by the flea beetle.
 
Extracted c 150lbs in spring. About 7 full supers on hives but being eaten by bees.

Fed a couple of nucs.. although the remaining 4 are doing fine with nuc supers on.

Queen rearing bit of a disaster due to weather- I have 15 virgins in mini mating nucs which I hope will mate in the next 2 days which are forecast to be dry and warm.

I expect total honey yield will be two thirds of last years due to weather...but one large hive has over 100lbs to its credit.
 
Unusually there was no OSR close to my hives this year, so Spring crop was poor. Summer crop not looking good either. Some of the blackberry has ripe fruit on it, so it might be an early harvest
 
Sorry but it's all good here!!!!!!

Same here! I wanted to compare spring v summer honey, so got the spring crop off at the end of May, and I've extracted the first of the summer crop too. Slowed down a little over the last two weeks but still bringing in more than they're using and the brood boxes (both colonies on double) have more than enough stores.
 

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