Summer flow will end .. when do you think this year?

[MarkS]

As a newbie could someone give me some idea if CV possible when the summer flow might end- end of July??

 

[Ian123]

Give us an idea of your location!

 

[ericbeaumont]

when the summer flow might end

What are the main sources of nectar within 2 miles of your hives?

 

[Erichalfbee]

As a newbie could someone give me some idea if CV possible when the summer flow might end- end of July??

Where are you Mark and have you had a good look around what the bees might be foraging on? Like Eric says.

 

[MarkS]

Thanks guys somewhat confused by last year- as was so easy - so many variables but I am down south in Kent/ Sussex - made too many splits so have a few hives that were booming but are now subdued - basically have 2 hives full/ 3/2 supers but then 5 others struggling to make gain after split. I guess my question is how fast do you expect June splits to become productive ? Next season? Thank you!!

 

[MarkS]

If I take honey now will I get a second bite at the cherry in July/August??

 

[Ian123]

If I take honey now will I get a second bite at the cherry in July/August??

We’ve no idea it’ll depend on local forage. In my area the main flow is over with the end of the sweet chestnut normally third week in July ish, also depends on the weather.
Do you have late sources like balsam, heather or ivy?
As to when your splits start producing its rather depends on the size you make them! But I wouldn’t really be expecting June splits to produce a crop other than pulling some honey bound frames out! Or perhaps adding a super to relieve brood box congestion. Again depending how big you make them will affect any crop or lack of.

 

[MarkS]

There seems to be plenty of forage Eric but the activity is minimal - maybe the heat?

 

[MarkS]

There seems to be plenty of forage Eric but the activity is minimal - maybe the heat

 

[MarkS]

Thanks Ian , I think I am learning the dynamic slowly - weather forage excepting -making splits to prevent swarming presents a clear trade off- last year I didn’t split but just added supers and ended up with my first - large - harvest but this all tells me in fact the season is in fact short….. be careful in May … have to work this out - do not want to increase!

 

[ericbeaumont]

have to work this out - do not want to increase

If you want to make honey and reduce numbers, try this: choose your production colonies - the strongest two - plus one of the other five splits. Take from each surplus colony a nuc inc. queen, 2f sealed brood, 1f pollen/honey, 1f drawn comb, 2f foundation, few shakes of bees. Mix not critical, but you want them strong by July end to resist wasp attack. Park them somewhere else, well away from the three production colonies, and leave the nuc entrances open.

Remove the stands the four splits occupied; unite with newspaper the remains of each box into the third colony or in any way that seems profitable. Excess DN honey can be extracted and combs returned for use as a deep super. Excess pollen combs can be sealed & stored for future use.

Removal of the nucs away from their original site will oblige the flyers to join the nearest colony and strengthen its foraging force. The third will also gain and may well fill a super.

The nucs will build by late summer and over-winter well. If the parent colony temper was good, the brood pattern excellent and disease absent, you could sell these nucs next spring when demand is strongest.

If any of the splits show poor temper, minor disease or poor brood pattern, kill the queen and unite to the next, putting each into a brood box with newspaper between, then condensing into one BB when uniting has succeeded.

 

[ericbeaumont]

seems to be plenty of forage

Ah, but what?

 

[MarkS]

Thanks a lot Eric and for the detail will definitely try this

 

[MarkS]

Yes we have loads of balsam Ian no heather