Spring is expected to be late this year

[MuswellMetro]

see NT veiws on spring

http://www.hortweek.com/channel/Par...ers-month-late-National-Trust-gardeners-find/


with a late autumn and a late spring, do you think the bees will need feeding with syrup and pollens patties ?

i have some feedbee but only use it normally when over wintering a NUC

 

[oliver90owner]

The consideration is whether the colony will be built up by the time the first main flow comes along. Late spring means late natural colony expansion. If they are going to be there collecting the nectar in large amounts, the bees must be ready. The question is always 'when is the flow going to start?' The answer to your question, if you want a strong colony ready and waiting, is 'yes'. Getting the two to coincide is the problem.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

Well the weather and the flow sources will be in tandem eh?

Where you can get a head start is to push the bees on so they are ahead.

Which is why one would feed pollen patties and syrup.

PH

 

[Black Comb]

Well the weather and the flow sources will be in tandem eh?

Where you can get a head start is to push the bees on so they are ahead.

Which is why one would feed pollen patties and syrup.

PH

Mid-March start for this PH?

 

[Poly Hive]

No. About this week or so if you can get a weather break to get in.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

Went to check the food situation today,all hives were flying but zero pollen going in as it was to cold to fly far (6-7c).

I am 4 weeks behind this year against 2009.

 

[thurrock bees]

i checked mine today, all are flying with a little greyish pollen coming in, all feed with foundant just incase the weather gets colder

 

[Poly Hive]

Interesting comment.

PH

 

[Black Comb]

6 - 7 here, but none flying.

 

[Onge]

I had quite a lot of pollen coming in today on my strongest hive, lots of activity the sun was warm but only 5 centigrade when I looked at them.

Must have been residual heat from earlier in the day.

 

[jezd]

Snowing here again, no flying today...x fingers for signs of Spring starting late next week

 

[Hawklord]

...a late autumn and a late spring....

Surely the seasons start at the same time every year?

 

[Finman]

Near my hives -15C and 70 cm snow.
In Helsinki -11C.

In red spot Suomussalmi -38C this morning.

There are beekeepers on that area and I byed last summer queens from them.

Poly Hive have teached to me that Britain and Finland have not the same weather.
Now we see that Poly has been right!

However, after 2 weeks I must take winter covers off and perepare hives for cleansing flight. The sun is going higher and it heats more.

Traffic cameras http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/alk/english/frames/kelikamerat-frame.html

 

[oliver90owner]

Surely the seasons start at the same time every year?

They might do on your calender, but easily 3 weeks difference - you have not noticed the changing climate these last several years?

The bees will take no notice of your calender, they know by experience over the millenia not to emerge and expand too early. That is why Bumbles and wasps hibernate in north facing banks etc. Too early - dead; a bit late - just a bit late for the flows, but they are still alive.

We now plant mono-crops with a short,well defined flowering periods and expect our bees to be ready for it? 'Fraid not, they are still on their old reliable time clocks and probably wil be long after humans have gone.

3 weeks can easily be 15 thousand extra bees for foraging on that flow, maybe twice the number of foragers, so far more excess honey stored. If that flow is one week or more late, an awful lot of the larvae in the hive could starve, even the whole colony.......

Now, if Finman misses the 'main' flow, he will lose his 'main' income. Simple as that.

RAB

 

[Finman]

[
Now, if Finman misses the 'main' flow, he will lose his 'main' income. Simple as that.

RAB

Main flow is July. I have invested quite much in Lundin Mining Corporation.
I hope that zink continue rising. Zink is my main flow before spring.

In my country it is important to the beekeeper that the wife is in condition and goes every morning to steady work.

 

[Poly Hive]

Changing climate? No just the usual variations: read Manley.

PH

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Surely the seasons start at the same time every year?

The seasons do start at the same time every year - it's just that the weather doesn't!

 

[shonabee]

In my country it is important to the beekeeper that the wife is in condition and goes every morning to steady work.

 

[grizzly]

Nooooooooooooooooooooo
I cant hold on much longer, you only have to look at my pic to see the fragility of my mental state....

 

[Hawklord]

The seasons do start at the same time every year - it's just that the weather doesn't!

Thats what I was getting at, and trying to inject a bit of humour. Seems this winter has been too long and beeks have lost their smiles.