no summer flow yet

[Cuckmere couple]

really apparent here in east sussex

dry summer leading to not much forage potentially

are others finding this?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Summer forage has been rained off here

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

On - off - on here. Bees really busy today with a lot of pollen going in plus, I assume nectar. Poorer honey yield than prior years though.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

yes...we had an amazing spring crop but supers seem pretty empty still

 

[user 6127]

Not a million miles from you, and it's the same. Been waiting for them to finish off a couple of supers for 2 weeks.

That said, they are still bringing in pollen, not as much as back in May, but its still coming in.

 

[sjt]

I'm also quite near you and I'm finding the same. I had a good spring and early summer crop but the last few weeks nothing. I usually leave them at least a full super on each hive for the winter but I've ordered syrup as it looks as if I may have to feed them. Masses of pollen though. this year.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've removed supers yesterday for extraction most production colonys have three supers on but only one fully capped..
Lots and lots of pollen stores in the brood boxes.
Three nucs with mated queen's made up just last month are now being hived up tomorrow.
The first part of summer was raining and windy, cold even at night but these last few weeks the hives have been humming again... I've still not Seen any ghost bees yet from the hb, blackberry's still flowering in places higher up the hill which is where I've noticed the girls going.

I was expecting at least three supers per production colony as per my spring crop so in comparison not so good but the summer isn't over yet.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

yes...ditto...lots of pollen coming in
Just canoed up the cuckmere too and lots of himalyan balsam out with bumble bees but hardly any honey bees on it...thats very early for balsam, we usually get it towards end of august
i usually remove supers in the last week of august

 

[thedozzer]

The dearth seems to be very area dependant?
we've had 77kg of our two garden hives, with a bit of lime in the second extraction.
Have 4 supers on one and three on the other, 2 nearly full capped on one and 1 1/2 on the other, should have 5 more fully capped supers to extract by end of month,
A beekeeper who im helping near Braintree, has had his hives honey bound even with a super on.
But a friend of ours, who we gave 2 nucs to, has had to feed most of his colonies, he is only 30 miles up the road in Suffolk! and most of the members of his local association are complaining about it being a poor year!
The people that are struggling seem to be in the country, where if your near a town or village maybe there is enough garden forage?

 

[Seaholly]

I am in Norfolk and am finding the same thing - even our most productive colony is slow at putting down stores. I am thinking about supplementing our smaller hive with syrup as they had no stores when we checked last weekend.

 

[manek]

I'm just up the road from Cuckmere and yes, the flow slowed a couple of weeks ago. I took five supers off one hive in two separate lots (one end of May, the second a month later) but July has seen supers not being filled much.

So I've taken a couple off my most productive colony, leaving them with two to fill, and I'll leave them those for the winter.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

we did take a crop end of april and end of May and then nothing through June/July
blackberry was very early so probably in may crop
will see if balsam supports a flow in august....

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

The dearth seems to be very area dependant?
we've had 77kg of our two garden hives, with a bit of lime in the second extraction.
Have 4 supers on one and three on the other, 2 nearly full capped on one and 1 1/2 on the other, should have 5 more fully capped supers to extract by end of month,
A beekeeper who im helping near Braintree, has had his hives honey bound even with a super on.
But a friend of ours, who we gave 2 nucs to, has had to feed most of his colonies, he is only 30 miles up the road in Suffolk! and most of the members of his local association are complaining about it being a poor year!
The people that are struggling seem to be in the country, where if your near a town or village maybe there is enough garden forage?

It’s sad that many country areas have been turned into green deserts. Dani posted a photo of her area recently which is all too representative of rural areas. In another month or so the farmers / contractors will be out cutting back the hedges to within an inch of their lives, preventing flowering next year...
It is the more urban areas where bees do best these days it seems.

 

[Swn58]

yes...ditto...lots of pollen coming in
Just canoed up the cuckmere too and lots of himalyan balsam out with bumble bees but hardly any honey bees on it...thats very early for balsam, we usually get it towards end of august
i usually remove supers in the last week of august

That is strange. It's been a very bountiful time from late April and still continuing here in the West Midlands.
I love the Cuckmere! I come from Lewes originally. When we are back there, we always try to walk from Seaford over the cliffs then up the river to the pub! We kayak too. I have this plan to go down the River Ouse, out to sea, around 'the corner' then up the Cuckmere. I never seem to get the time though. One day!

 

[Cuckmere couple]

i have friends who have done that trip Swn...go for it

 

[citrus]

yes...ditto...lots of pollen coming in
Just canoed up the cuckmere too and lots of himalyan balsam out with bumble bees but hardly any honey bees on it...thats very early for balsam, we usually get it towards end of august
i usually remove supers in the last week of august

sounds interesting ....got any good suggestions for places to park and put a kayak in ? ... me and mrs citrus mainly play on the Wey near guildford and generally do an hour one way and back on our kayak but up for a bit of a change feel free to DM me if its easier or email [email protected] if your travel guidance is being sold on by the forum operator...

(ONLY JOKING @admin @TechAdmin )

 

[Newbeeneil]

sounds interesting ....got any good suggestions for places to park and put a kayak in ? ... me and mrs citrus mainly play on the Wey near guildford and generally do an hour one way and back on our kayak but up for a bit of a change feel free to DM me if its easier or email [email protected] if your travel guidance is being sold on by the forum operator...

(ONLY JOKING @admin @TechAdmin )

Have you tried the Wey and Arun canal from Loxwood?

 

[Swn58]

i have friends who have done that trip Swn...go for it

Yes we will. We have an inflatable Gumotex Seawave, which has been on a fair few adventures. We have island hopped around Croatia and I did a three day solo trip from Hereford to Chepstow once.

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Monster Summer here in West London, near Syon Park and Kew Gardens, at least by our standards. Mainly because of excellent success with Demaree manipulations but reduction in hedge and tree cutting plus good weather for the parks has seen steady flows. That said, its slowed right down this week. Like mark, I'm watching the HB, its prevalent along the Thames. The River Authority are buggers for cutting it back. Not seen the ghosts yet!

 

[Cuckmere couple]

sounds interesting ....got any good suggestions for places to park and put a kayak in )

If you want the Cuckmere a few people park in the layby on the A27 road bridge beyond Drusillas roundabout towards Polegate (first bridge you come to) and enter under the bridge....or towards Alfriston and along the banks by what is called Longbridge

you can go left towards Arlington reservoir or right towards Alfriston and Cuckmere Haven