Author Topic: Hows your fall? (Read 7397 times)

LazyBkpr · « **on:** October 22, 2014, 09:00:04 pm »

Fall here has been disastrously disappointing.. I am completely confused about what is happening.. We have flowers GALORE, goldenrod everywhere, fantastic rainfall amounts and good temps... and there is absolutely NO FLOW whatsoever.. I noticed one of my nuc's had no activity, so checked on it, to find they had starved to death.. Checking the other nucs showed they were right oin the line of living and dying.. Syrup was on them within the hour, and at that point feeding ALL the hives became just as important to get them ready for winter..

Goldenrod was apparently a bust this year.. why? I have no clue.. it is STILL blooming along with many other flowers....

those are just a few quick pics when checking on my hives today.. Anyone got an idea why theres no flow?

In other news... Brought home two bee tree stumps.. One of them was in pretty tuff shape, so I moved the bees to a nuc with drawn comb, and I have honey frames to give them to see if they can make the winter... I will check to see if they have a queen in there with them on Friday.. if they do, I will pack them up for winter.. if they do not, they get shook out to strengthen other hives..
The BIG stump, you can see propped up on the left of this pic;

It was about to get burned out, so the chainsaw tractor and I went to retrieve it.. Its propped up and will have to try to winter as it is.. at least they have a chance.

the Sunflower field hives;

And the hives on the hill;

The hives at the home yard are the ones I split etc, and where I raise the nucs and deal with problems. the outyards are the production hives.. Another week or two it will be time to wrap them for winter.. so... let me say it now just to get the ball rolling....

Got most of the wood cut, a couple more GOOD loads should do it... Has anyone else noticed that trees are getting harder and heavier every year?

iddee · « **Reply #1 on:** October 22, 2014, 09:18:57 pm »

I have 2 hives a block from the house. There are 2 more hives in the neighborhood. I am feeding a gallon a day. Have been for over a week.

Jen · « **Reply #2 on:** October 22, 2014, 09:42:17 pm »

Starting to rake and mow brilliant red leaves. Cleaned out my little bee shed and now have two big bins of pulled deep and medium frames ready for next spring. I have 3 hives now instead of 4 from the combine that seems to be doing peachy. First time I ever put fumigilin on my bees, I paced for a few days or so and studied as much as I could. Until I can find where to have my hives tested pre fall, or buy a microscope, or just assume that the hives are heavy with gargantuan amounts of spores... I guess I'll go with Fall treatments. I don't think it can hurt.

Been building a fire for about 2 weeks now and wanting to bake anything with crust

Finally Home · « **Reply #3 on:** October 22, 2014, 09:47:30 pm »

11 of my 14 hives were all like yours. No stores what so ever and no brood. Not sure how they were still surviving. Been feeding them for about a month now. They are putting up stores and the queens are laying again. Looking like they might be ok for the winter. Should still be able to feed them another week or two at least.
I have a 100 acre golden rod field with in 2.5 miles (fish and wildlife preserve) and about a half dozen or so that are 15-20 acre fields even closer and got no fall honey?

Very strange happenings...

Jen · « **Reply #4 on:** October 22, 2014, 09:59:00 pm »

Do I dare mention the 'd' word?

lazy shooter · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2014, 08:43:32 am »

@the other lazy:

What is the name of the long slender flowering plant in the second picture down from the top? We have a plant that resembles it. It is called gay feather, but it blooms a purple bloom. My bees do not forage on it, but it seems to draw a lot of butterflies and native flies.

You do have a great assortment of wild flowers.

Dang, that is a big tree stump.

Your farm is way too neat looking. Where is all the old worn out and neglected farm implements?

Your pictures display an organized, and disciplined mind.

I love driving through Iowa, but it is to cold for this old Texan. (key in on the adjective "old.")

lazy

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #6 on:** October 23, 2014, 09:27:07 am »

Not sure, but the plant looks like Burdock that has gone to seed? The bees here are all over the aster, but don't seem to be getting much from it, i'm feeding 4 hives here at home out of 23. My hives in outyards 30 and 60 miles north of home are heavy as lead, i'm going to move 8 of the hives here at home to a new ourtyard next spring, i may have more hives at home than the area can suppurt? Jack

tedh · « **Reply #7 on:** October 23, 2014, 10:16:18 am »

Hmmm. I thought things were going good until I read this thread. I had been feeding the bees all spring and summer, as has Josh, (new package bees on undrawn foundation). I just pulled the feeder the first week in October fearing they would store themselves out of clustering room. Last inspection, when I pulled the feeder, they had the top deep filled with syrup/nectar, which was mostly capped, a few frames of pollen, and a couple frames of brood. The bottom deep looked very similar with a little more brood than was in the top. At that time I thought I'd leave them alone until it was time to wrap them up and add the sugar cake. Now, I think I'd better take another look just to make sure they haven't consumed most of their stores. Josh pulled his feeder just last weekend, at my urging, as I thought it was getting too late to feed. My concern was that the bees wouldn't have time to dry and cap the syrup/nectar, and that would increase the moisture in the hive this winter. Isn't it too late to feed the bees?

I like the log! And, the plant in question? I think it's mullein (spelling?).

10/4 on the wood being heavier this year. What I used to do in a day, day and a half, this year has taken three days! There's got to be a better way. I'm thinking...Josh... Ted

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #8 on:** October 23, 2014, 10:18:24 am »

I believe the tall yellow flowers are Mullein.. common or greater mullein.. I think the smaller purple of similar type is Hoary vervain.. If anyone knows for sure let us know!

Ted.. your concerns are justified. Just keep peeking to make sure they are not eating themselves out of their winter stores.. YOU may have a decent flow in your area so have no need to be concerned.. Here there is nothing coming in.. I see one out of 30 bees with a little pale pollen in her baskets.. I am so confused...

brooksbeefarm · « **Reply #9 on:** October 23, 2014, 10:52:10 am »

Sorry about that, i meant to say Mullein not Burdock

i've never seen bees work it though. Jack

tedh · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2014, 11:43:35 am »

Yeah. I'm kinda thinking there is no flow here. The asters are done, the sedum is done, there's nothing left of the golden rod, I see one dandelion in the yard and no clover. There is still some of the flea bane type of flowering plant available, but as yet have seen no honeybees on it. I'm thinking, at least for my area, it's all over for this year as far as pollen and nectar.

So, I'll plan on a quick peek, just remove the tele cover and inner cover, and if I see capped syrup/nectar in the top deep I'll call it good. I really don't want to dig too deep into the hive unless we have a warmer, sunny day. It's kind of a frightening time of year. Especially so when nobody seems to know what's happening.

I remember just a few months ago thinking, yeah, we'll get some bees, put them in a box and we'll have jars of honey for the taking. You know, a veritable goldmine. All we have to do is sit back and count the cash! Not that money has been the motivator, just sayin. Ted

lazy shooter · « **Reply #11 on:** October 23, 2014, 12:07:42 pm »

Hey Jack and others:

You mentioned clover, do you know if bees forage on hudam clover? I think some people call it white clover.

iddee · « **Reply #12 on:** October 23, 2014, 12:13:08 pm »

Ted, you don't have to open it. Just lift the back of the hive. If it feels like it's nailed down, you're good to go. If it's like lifting empty boxes, they probably are.

tedh · « **Reply #13 on:** October 23, 2014, 12:45:16 pm »

Thanks Iddee! Will do. Ted

efmesch · « **Reply #14 on:** October 23, 2014, 01:16:49 pm »

I went through my hives yesterday to check for varroa and treat them with Amitraz. One of my six hives had died out--done in by an infestation of wax moths I didn't catch on time (the supers had spaces between them and allowed the moths to invade and take over). Of the other five, all have reasonably good stores and are working something that is floering---plenty of bright yellow pollen was coming in in quantities. One hive that seemed a bit on the weak side was given some honey from chunks of comb that had been built outside of the frames.

This morning I watched as a new crop of bees did their orientation flights in front of their hive.

While the daytime weather is still warm, nights are getting chilly. Earlier this week we got a nice 15 mm (over half an inch) of rain. Hopefully, it is the harbinger of a wet winter ahead.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #15 on:** October 23, 2014, 03:09:34 pm »

Quote from: lazy shooter on October 23, 2014, 12:07:42 pm

Hey Jack and others:

You mentioned clover, do you know if bees forage on hudam clover? I think some people call it white clover.

I assume you mean Hubam Clover?? If so.. YES!!!!!! in fact it is an EXCELLENT source of nectar, and is one of a combination of clovers and other forage plants that will be going on my fields next spring.

Ef.. My fingers are crossed and my prayers given that you do have a wet winter.. You could use some luck my friend!

Perry · « **Reply #16 on:** October 23, 2014, 04:18:38 pm »

Up here things are turning cold. Not much of anything that the bees can forage on anymore, maybe a bit of Aster. They were heavy when I last checked 'em, but they were also strong and could chow through stores fast. Too cold to think about syrup much longer. I will heft them again when I go to wrap, and any I'm concerned about I'll add fondant to.

Papakeith · « **Reply #17 on:** October 23, 2014, 04:19:29 pm »

the fall flow was very light. All Summer long we had no rain so it wasn't really much of a surpirse.
at least half of my colonies are very light even with feeding . Brood rearing for winter seems light too.
Unless we have a substantially milder winter than last year I'm not optimistic about where I'll be come springtime

Papakeith · « **Reply #18 on:** October 23, 2014, 04:20:19 pm »

same as you perry, the girls are done for the winter. too cold for liquid now. I'll be putting candy boards on soon. fingers crossed for the best.

Jen · « **Reply #19 on:** October 23, 2014, 04:23:24 pm »

I'm just now getting the fumigilin on, and we're going thru a week of rain and wind. I not sure if I should have the liquid on at this point.. scratching head