Whats with this cold weather

[Crofting Mannie]

Nearly 20cm of lying snow yesterday morning. Its still white this evening but slowly melting (although there have been the odd snow showers through the day today).
The daffodils are probably ruined but nothing else was flowering yet so should still come.

Snow in May is fairly normal here but not that much!

I fed my bees on Wednesday, and again today......

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yeah same here, blackthorn blossom all over the roads like snow after the windy days..
Dandelion honey /pollen frames are being removed from brood boxes even though the weather hasn't been brilliant.

still abit about though the girls were on the blackthorn today at all apiarys.
In the third photo osr 1.5 miles away.

 

[user 20297]

Snow in May is fairly normal here but not that much!

Where are you @Crofting Mannie

 

[Crofting Mannie]

Where are you @Crofting Mannie

Strathnairn (about 25km southwest of Inverness)

 

[user 20297]

Strathnairn (about 25km southwest of Inverness)

I often drive through Strathnairn; you get a lot of extreme weather up there! I live, nearer the coast, to the east of Inverness. We've had very bee-unfriendly weather for the last two weeks, but the bees are hardy and have been getting out for a part of each day.

 

[BigAshW]

Having to feed one of my hives today in Essex. Looked at them yesterday and there wasn't a drop of stores in the hive. Will put a fondant patty on as it's forecast miserable weather for the week.

 

[oliver90owner]

Having to feed one of my hives today in Essex. Looked at them yesterday and there wasn't a drop of stores in the hive. Will put a fondant patty on as it's forecast miserable weather for the week.

At least plenty of rain, so they can use that fondant. But why lose bees to the cold and rain?

Feeding thin syrup, to emulate nectar, is the clearly obvious choice with brood to feed.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Having to feed one of my hives today in Essex. Looked at them yesterday and there wasn't a drop of stores in the hive. Will put a fondant patty on as it's forecast miserable weather for the week.

Syrup is the way to go

 

[Monbees]

Syrup is the way to go

Presumably, if needing to feed syrup or fondant, this is before supers get put on? If supers are on then bees will use that honey, so no need for feeding?

 

[Erichalfbee]

If they have stores they don’t need feeding, yes

 

[BigAshW]

Syrup is the way to go

This is on a demareed hive though with a virgin queen in the top box.

I've taken the super off as it was empty and placed a block of fondant in an eke between the two boxes.

If I put a feeder on will the bees in the bottom box come all the way through and take syrup down to the bottom box or will they use it up in the top box?

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

Here, pelting rain from night well into the day. When ever will the weather become decent? Has that new volcano in the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland upset the weather that badly?

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is on a demareed hive though with a virgin queen in the top box.

I've taken the super off as it was empty and placed a block of fondant in an eke between the two boxes.

If I put a feeder on will the bees in the bottom box come all the way through and take syrup down to the bottom box or will they use it up in the top box?

If she has only just emerged take her box away and put a feeder of syrup on it

 

[jeff33]

View attachment 25875still abit about though the girls were on the blackthorn today at all apiarys.
In the third photo osr 1.5 miles away.

Blackthorn doesn't seem to be the staple of choice here. We have a lot of it but never see the bees on it, they go for the dandelion instead. Early March I often see the bees gathering pollen on the lesser celandine. Again, this is dictated by needs rather than choice but it's good to see the selection as the seasons go on

 

[BigAshW]

If she has only just emerged take her box away and put a feeder of syrup on it

Sorry wasn't clear. Original queen is in the bottom box. Virgin in the top. She's been out about a week if I recall

 

[Xtrema]

Stacks of Horse Chestnut have started to bloom as of yesterday.
We have some very large trees which will soon be full of it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sorry wasn't clear. Original queen is in the bottom box. Virgin in the top. She's been out about a week if I recall

What were you going to do with her?

 

[BigAshW]

What were you going to do with her?

Wait for her to start laying properly and if she did split her off into a nuc.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wait for her to start laying properly and if she did split her off into a nuc.

Well you’re stuck if she’s been out on a mating flight already and is fixed to go out again.
If the weather has been pants and she hasn’t been out then move the top box off.


So what you have now is two brood boxes with a QX between a virgin in the top and the old queen in the bottom?

 

[BigAshW]

Well you’re stuck if she’s been out on a mating flight already and is fixed to go out again.
If the weather has been pants and she hasn’t been out then move the top box off

I'm happy to leave her for a bit.

I'll go and put a feeder on top tomorrow and leave the fondant between the boxes that way they can take their choice I guess. Hopefully once this week's weather clears we will get a flow on and I can take it all off.