Pollen shortage

[Beefriendly]

Some daffs out here but that is academic as they ain't that useful and even if


Spring? Bad joke here.

PH

My point was not that mainstream daffs are useful to bees but an indication of how far behind spring is this year in my region.

 

[Swarm]

My hives have been bringing loads of pollen since the 5th of March, maybe because I am in a city, so more access to different plants and flowers

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Or maybe it's your bees? Like yours, my bees have been bringing in a variety of pollen.

 

[thibault]

Or maybe it's your bees? Like yours, my bees have been bringing in a variety of pollen.

[emoji28], yes, white, yellow, orange pollen, very nice bees [emoji6]

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[SDM]

Some daffs out here but that is academic as they ain't that useful and even if
they were the bees are clustered.

Got some pussy willow out too but they are soaked. Just checked the soil therm and it's down to 5C.

Spring? Bad joke here.

PH

There's no great news for the North of the country in the forecast either. It looks like the south and Wales are get more normal weather but up north holds onto the cold.

 

[Poly Hive]

BF you misconstrued my comment.

Yes the North seems to be stuck in this chill and it seems to be that way for another two weeks.

PH

 

[madasafish]

No shortage of pollen here this afternoon, coming in by the bucket load, about 1 in 4 bees loaded with bright yellow pollen. Willow, blackthorn and dandelion have all burst into life and temperature up to 14 C.

Same here except the willow is just opening and I cannot see any local dandelions in flower..But lots of pollen.

After yesterday's snow and high of 7C, 14C feels balmy...

 

[sean-a]

That I can say after 2 -2,5 month.

.

How many of your hives do you heat firman?
Do you use a heating mat and a car battery?

 

[Gwr]

No flowering anything where we are yet and even the daffodils in our garden are still not open, again showing how late everything is. Even the gorse is till not yellow here which is very unusual.

When the bees are going out they are coming back with no signs of pollen and when looking through my plastic crown boards their stores are pretty well empty so I started with pollen patties 4 weeks ago and they are taking it down well.

I’m also putting fondant on as well In case the pollen patties don’t have enough sugar in them ( I’m pretty new to pollen patties so have no experience on them in this kind of poor weather )

 

[Finman]

How many of your hives do you heat firman?
Do you use a heating mat and a car battery?

In spring I heat all 25 hives for the start of brooding. Normal 220 V from the house wall.
3 kind of heaters.

I install heaters when I start patty feeding.

 

[mickbees23]

In spring I heat all 25 hives for the start of brooding. Normal 220 V from the house wall.
3 kind of heaters.

I install heaters when I start patty feeding.

Can you post a picture of your heaters ?

Biggest problem I have in the North East of England is spring build up is almost impossible due to freezing East winds, we are about 10C colder than the south. By the time it warms up my bees have just enough time to build up and try to swarm before the nectar flow stops in June, we don't have the so called ' main flow ' in July after that.

Cheers, Mick.

 

[madasafish]

Can you post a picture of your heaters ?

Biggest problem I have in the North East of England is spring build up is almost impossible due to freezing East winds, we are about 10C colder than the south. By the time it warms up my bees have just enough time to build up and try to swarm before the nectar flow stops in June, we don't have the so called ' main flow ' in July after that.

Cheers, Mick.

That's my concern as well and has been in the past. Bigger colonies going into winter is my answer and at present most of my colonies have 7-8 frames of bees (jumbo langs) and two have 9. Fondant and pollen patties from end February on top of frames help. And lots of insulation. And bees from Carniolan stock appear to start foraging earlier and forage longer in poor weather.(so this year I'll be raising more from last year's best hives)

 

[Finman]

Can you post a picture of your heaters ?

.

These are ecamples

15 W is maximum what you can use in hives.
https://fi.miscota.com/reptiles/exo-terra/p-48566


It depends on price . Quite many are broken after 13 years usage.


Mat heaters are as well good . This is 8W and it is enough to heat the hive.
https://fi.miscota.com/reptiles/trixie/heating-mat-for-reptiles-15x20-cm-8-w

Radiators are not handy

There are big differencies in prices.

USA has 110 voltage. Do not buy from there.
.
.

 

[Hivemaker.]

There are big differencies in prices.

There are lots of them on E Bay and Amazon, yes... big price differences.
I use one to keep drones warm.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reptile-...m=253523058136&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

 

[Finman]

There are lots of them on E Bay and Amazon, yes... big price differences.
I use one to keep drones warm.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Reptile-...m=253523058136&_trksid=p2047675.c100010.m2109

That is very good price!

I have those and I put them between twisted offset chield. And the heater hangs like a frame.

.

 

[Into the lions den]

Bees building up really strong now, lots of pollen being collected and most colonies needing extra space.

Must be that magical microclimate you have again Pete. Our bees over at Hereford are still largely clustered and build up most definitely NOT begun, despite many needing boxes this time last year down there. They are mostly strong, so when they get going they really WILL get going but 8 bars of bees with two half bars of brood BIAS seems to be about normal.

Thats a minimum of 3 weeks from crossover day.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Must be that magical microclimate you have again Pete.

Nice and warm here early this morning, even needed to open the greenhouses to prevent over heating, drove down to Dartmoor and arrived down there at 12, really very cold down there, like a different world, arrived back here at 5pm and it is even warmer now, something to do with being in a deep valley about a half mile from the sea with hills going up to 1700 ft either side, sheltering this valley.
I think there are lots of these small micro climate areas around the country, lots of cold ones too.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Bees building up really strong now, lots of pollen being collected and most colonies needing extra space.

What pollen are they collecting HM? Willow catkins are now open here and bees are looking more like wasps! Not much else available at present though.

 

[Hivemaker.]

What pollen are they collecting HM? Willow catkins are now open here and bees are looking more like wasps! Not much else available at present though.

Still some hazel, late here for that, Willow, loads of Gorse and some from early dandelions, among a few other small wild flowers, like buttertbur.

Lots of primrose also in flower now, not seen any bees near them though.

 

[Beefriendly]

I think there are lots of these small micro climate areas around the country, lots of cold ones too.

Hoy!!! We got 10C today, it melted last nights ice. Daffs nearly out.

 

[MuswellMetro]

london suburbs and M25 area looked in about 30 hives in last two days (not all mine), most on 4 or five 14x12 frames, willow, Blackthorn and dandelion comming, all had stores, Nuc were smaller on 2 or 3 14x12 frames and needed food, i tend not to feed much in autumn and rely on ivy with a top up if light

all survived winter abeit three have signs of Nosema and on only one frame (if that) of brood, so i will cull these this weekend and burn the frames (all bailey comb change last year so better safe that sorry i will check what water source the apairy bees are using