Temperature affecting honey flows.

[Curly green fingers]

Hi, the max daily temperature over the next two weeks isn't looking good highs of 16c lows 11c daily.. these are temps local to me.
Will this affect the honey flows?
My flows at home Hawthorne,maple, sycamore , dandelion .
In comparison to last year which imo we we're very spoilt after all the snow.
Your thoughts pls..

 

[Finman]

Wind has too a big influence in those temps to bees. They often stay at home then, even if they fly in windless weather.

Those temps are not flow temps.

Bees bring drinking water to larvae in low temps and many beeks believe that they are foraging nectar.

 

[Poly Hive]

Yes it will. Sorry but obviously it will.

However, do not equate roasting temps with floods of nectar it does not work like that. Humidity is very important.

A hot windy day dries out the nectaries. A still humid warm day will pour.

PH

 

[enrico]

Huge differences, even in one day.
E

 

[Murox]

There is a correlation with temperature and nectar flow and it does make a difference, as does humidity. Both plants and bees need (the right sort of) warmth to produce well; and bees require reasonable flying weather to forage.

 

[Murox]

........................................
My flows at home Hawthorne,maple, sycamore , dandelion .
In comparison to last year which imo we we're very spoilt after all the snow.

There are always exceptions of course but the heaviest nectar flows are normally from April to around the middle of June ish. Then re-occur in September, October ish. Many of the flowers in bloom late June, July, August, (early September) often have little or no nectar.

 

[Hivemaker.]

There are always exceptions of course but the heaviest nectar flows are normally from April to around the middle of June ish. Then re-occur in September, October ish. Many of the flowers in bloom late June, July, August, (early September) often have little or no nectar.

Here would be one of those exceptions, the heaviest flows here start from mid to late June through until early September, from sources such as... clover, brambles, rosebay, bell and ling heather, sweet chestnut trees, lime trees, etc.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Here would be one of those exceptions, the heaviest flows here start from mid to late June through until early September, from sources such as... clover, brambles, rosebay, bell and ling heather, sweet chestnut trees, lime trees, etc.

I also have flows from bramble ,rosebay willow herb, clover , thistles and Hb , ivy . in the last two seasons there has been a cross over between the spring flows and the summer .
I've also noticed that the Hawthorne flow starts three weeks before it's in flower locally and this is because being in an elevated position 400/450/ metres trees, plants will be in flower three weeks earlier a mile away down in the valley this has its advantages and I'm sure hive maker has the same situation.

Finman I've observed what you discribed on many occasions and hearing it from another beekeeper is even more clarification thank you .

And thanks all for putting things into perspective.
Mark.

 

[Swarm]

Are two years ever the same?

 

[Poly Hive]

No.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

Might affect nectar flows. Don’t we all know that honey flows more easily when warmed?

 

[Curly green fingers]

Might affect nectar flows. Don’t we all know that honey flows more easily when warmed?

An ongoing thing for me is finding out minimum temps certain tree's flowers will produce nectar without affecting honey flows do you have any data??

 

[Finman]

Might affect nectar flows. Don’t we all know that honey flows more easily when warmed?

Not at all. Black bees forages even in brizzle and in under 10C. I wonder where they hidden their yield when it does not come to extractors.

 

[Finman]

An ongoing thing for me is finding out minimum temps certain tree's flowers will produce nectar without affecting honey flows do you have any data??

There is no such as minimum temps to make nectar.
Do not bother your head with such facts. The yield plant cataloques have lots of mistakes, how many hundred kilos they produce honey per acre. Good fairytales anyway.

I have seen so many times how flowers are full of nectar droblets, and bees do not gather it in light wind. They fly back and fort with empty belly. Often bees have favorite plants and they abandon other plants.

 

[SDM]

There is no such as minimum temps to make nectar.
Do not bother your head with such facts. The yield plant cataloques have lots of mistakes, how many hundred kilos they produce honey per acre. Good fairytales anyway.

I have seen so many times how flowers are full of nectar droblets, and bees do not gather it in light wind. They fly back and fort with empty belly. Often bees have favorite plants and they abandon other plants.

Large nectar quantity doesn't equate to high sugar content.

 

[Finman]

.
Minimum and maximum temperatures???

I found with balance hive such term as "bees' working hours". I followed a rape field in maximum temp 18 C. Night was cold and maximum temp 18 was reached at midday and them after 2-3 hours temp started to drop down and beed stopped flying.

In another case, when top temps were 30C, bees stopped foraging near sunset when evening temps were 18C. One hive foraged half of hour after sun set.
Their working hours were about 12 hours and next day perhaps 9 hours. Flowers werr full of nectar, because they brought full loads at sunset.

If you want to learn facts, get a balance and follow daily, what bees do.

 

[Finman]

Large nectar quantity doesn't equate to high sugar content.

It is easy to see in the morning. Night mist has diluted the nectar so that no bees or bumbblebees forage it.

But I cannot do anything to that thing. Bees do what they do.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Not at all. Black bees forages even in brizzle and in under 10C. I wonder where they hidden their yield when it does not come to extractors.

They've given it all to the buckfast bee's for breakfast lunch and dinner as they don't need it as much .

 

[Curly green fingers]

Wind has too a big influence in those temps to bees. They often stay at home then, even if they fly in windless weather.

Those temps are not flow temps.

Bees bring drinking water to larvae in low temps and many beeks believe that they are foraging nectar.

I know you say this, but 15c today sunny no breeze and the hives are humming this evening drying nectar they were really busy so the wife was saying.

 

[Paulypaul]

Noticed there's been a bit of a dearth/significant slowdown in nectar stores in my colonies over the past 2 weeks. I assume that's down to the rain and wind.
Wondered what temperatures required for nectar production.

My out apiary is in a 2-acre field of bramble/blackberries, which has just started blooming.

I've heard bramble can produce nectar at lower temperatures. It's generally 18c now, and have seen bees on the few flowers that have already bloomed.

Getting a little concerned that while April saw a great flow, and my colonies are generally doing well, most aren't producing a significant honey surplus right now, so hoping the brambles will help kick-start this year.