Thanks for the heads-up

[enrico]

Well....middle of April and four hives have filled supers in exactly one week. Could hardly lift them. All on second supers. Unfortunately my 'nice' queen has changed into a 'not nice' one. One more try next week and then she's gone!
Not had a flow like this without **** ever!
Thanks for warning me!
E

 

[Curly green finger's]

Well....middle of April and four hives have filled supers in exactly one week. Could hardly lift them. All on second supers. Unfortunately my 'nice' queen has changed into a 'not nice' one. One more try next week and then she's gone!
Not had a flow like this without **** ever!
Thanks for warning me!
E

Much the same here Eric.
I've not seen early flows like this, the weather is playing its part.. No wind, lovely blue skys. The bees are loving it.
Im putting second supers on two hives shortly.
I had a phone call about a swarm already but I was miles away by the time I got back they had left.
A swarm in April what's the saying for that.. Probably worth a nugget of gold!

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[jeff33]

Good to see you got there on time Enrico. I am going to check mine this afternoon with some spare supers. The joys of open mated queens, always fun until a bad drone or 2 get their way.

 

[viridens]

Should we expect a May gap?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Should we expect a May gap?

Locally the harwthorne is a couple of weeks away..
As everything else is flowering weeks early I wouldn't be surprised

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[jeff33]

I expected mine to fill up supers but some have hardly touched them and all hives are on dble brood. I have a fair few brood frames full of nectar and pollen and will deal with these tomorrow but I think the good weather arrived unexpected and the bees only started building up a couple of weeks ago looking at the amount of brood. I should start seeing a strong workforce ready for the hawthorn and sycamore.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Unfortunately my 'nice' queen has changed into a 'not nice' one. One more try next week and then she's gone!
Not had a flow like this without **** ever!

I have but one season of OSR experience, Eric, but was told that bees turn can nasty on it, or after it. Seems that OSR is either poisonous to bees or that bees have withdrawal symptoms after it.

Last year in Surrey there was a lot of OSR and bees were fine. This year they're a bit frisky and I'm guessing that they're on OSR again (perhaps a different variety), not that much is coming in.

I'll wait for it to pass.

 

[WoodenBeam]

Seems that OSR is either poisonous to bees

Bit of a stretch that comment

or that bees have withdrawal symptoms after it.

I’ll agree to that. Around here the end of OSR things can dry up and seeing as I’ve usually then stolen their hard earned bounty I can sort of understand why they be pissed.

 

[Murox]

I have but one season of OSR experience, Eric, but was told that bees turn can nasty on it, or after it. Seems that OSR is either poisonous to bees or that bees have withdrawal symptoms after it.

Last year in Surrey there was a lot of OSR and bees were fine. This year they're a bit frisky and I'm guessing that they're on OSR again (perhaps a different variety), not that much is coming in. I'll wait for it to pass.

An interesting notion. Diet influences our behaviour or our ability to moderate aspects of it and if 'we are what we eat', why should other creatures be any different?

 

[Popparand]

Yep. Here in South Suffolk second supers have been on some hives for a week, and I'll be checking them all again this weekend. OSR coming into flower, but the flow so far has been mainly from fruit trees I guess. Horse chestnut, May, laurel and privet all starting to come into bud, and 100 acres of field beans just emerging, I wonder what will go wrong this year to turn everything on its head!

 

[Swarm]

The sun is shining but the air and breeze has been bitter, if you are not in the sun it's flipping cold. No mega flow, bees are all busy but the supers are more for space than nectar atm.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I can't see there being much difference in the forage timings to most other years. Yes, the bees (or at least some colonies) are definitely way further ahead than usual but everything around here is blossoming at the usual time.

 

[enrico]

I can't see there being much difference in the forage timings to most other years. Yes, the bees (or at least some colonies) are definitely way further ahead than usual but everything around here is blossoming at the usual time.

It is here too but it must be dripping in nectar this year!
E

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It is here too but it must be dripping in nectar this year!
E

yup - had to super a few colonies with just a handful of frames of brood as they're piling in so much.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I think I was being a bit presumptuous yesterday and will hold of with the second supers for a few days..



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[ericbeaumont]

Bit of a stretch that comment

seeing as I’ve usually then stolen their hard earned bounty I can sort of understand why they be pissed.

I agree, Zac, it sounds odd; the info. that OSR contained a chemical that drive bees nuts was given to me a few years ago; I'll see if I can track it down.

Never had a real problem when taking honey from bees, and certainly not when taking OSR off in the same apiary last year.

One of our local beekeepers once had such torment from one of fifteen colonies, post-OSR, that he petrolled it.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I think the trees are in blossom at the right time, certainly haven't suffered frost damage through the Winter and the weather has been kind - usually April brings wind and rain to ruin the blossom. I agree with Enrico the amount of nectar available seems brilliant this year.

 

[viridens]

I can't see there being much difference in the forage timings to most other years. Yes, the bees (or at least some colonies) are definitely way further ahead than usual but everything around here is blossoming at the usual time.

It's not like that here. Things are definitely advanced. Dandelions and Hawthorn are now past their peak, and as markers, Bluebells and Horse Chestnut are well on, and Elders are in bloom - I harvested some today for winemaking.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's not like that here. Things are definitely advanced. Dandelions and Hawthorn are now past their peak, and as markers, Bluebells and Horse Chestnut are well on, and Elders are in bloom - I harvested some today for winemaking.

Yet here - blackthorn in full bloom, only the occasional hawthorn blooming so far today, dandelion nectar flying in the last week and bluebells opening the last few days.
Elderflowers a long way to go yet.
apples started blossoming yesterday although the wild crab apples started a few days ago.

 

[Swarm]

Yet here - blackthorn in full bloom, only the occasional hawthorn blooming so far today, dandelion nectar flying in the last week and bluebells opening the last few days.
Elderflowers a long way to go yet.
apples started blossoming yesterday although the wild crab apples started a few days ago.

Pretty much the same here, Hawthorn hasn't long come into leaf, not much sign of buds yet.
An assortment of pollen though, I counted seven different loads going into one colony today, they deserve a medal for flying in the wind we've had.