Author Topic: 2nd year beek and well... (Read 5331 times)

Nugget Shooter · « **on:** February 08, 2017, 09:33:43 am »

OK going into my second year with 6 hives and right now we are beginning our spring flow and seeing this type of activity is amazing to me. 4 of our colonies are booming and working so hard it blows me away and some of the returning foragers are so laden with nectar they crash and roll on the landing boards or miss and fall to the ground then having to fly with much effort back up the 2 feet to the hive. The other 2 are smaller colonies, but also working at a fast pace and I know most of you see this as normal, but having not seen them work with a big flow coming on I am blown away by these little bugs. I had to remove the entrance reducers yesterday as there was too much congestion with all the exiting and returning foragers.

Temps here are in the mid 70s and low 80s and the wild flowers are now starting to get going good with a "once in a 100 year" bloom being predicted by those in the know and I agree it is really gonna be something to see with rains timed perfectly and lots of it. The desert just comes alive when this happens and it is an amazing site....

Looks like we will be getting a honey harvest perhaps this May or June...... ?

First year was an adventure getting to know beekeeping and bees, but I also see I have much to learn....

neillsayers · « **Reply #1 on:** February 08, 2017, 11:41:51 am »

Great report N S!

Hope we get some of the same. Springtime forage here is mostly trees, but some of them make a lot of nectar from time to time. Hope this is one of those times. I sure wish I could visit your desert. I always loved the forbidding beauty of the desert but have never seen it in bloom.

Jen · « **Reply #2 on:** February 08, 2017, 12:15:57 pm »

Hey Nug! Ain't it wonderful! Excited for you

We have a barrage of rain right now which will help our spring blooms so much. I have 3 hives and 3 nucs surviving at the moment. Still feeding sugar cakes about once a week. Keeping my fingers crossed.

tedh · « **Reply #3 on:** February 08, 2017, 12:22:59 pm »

Oh man, I can feel your excitement!

Wandering Man · « **Reply #4 on:** February 08, 2017, 01:09:52 pm »

Nugget Shooter,

I've been enjoying watching the girls crammed up at the entrance too.

In stead of removing my entrance reducers, I'm going to replace them with entrance reducers that offer a wider opening. I'm not sure my girls are quite ready to protect the whole width of the entrance. I've got several sticks of wood of varying lengths that I put in and take out, depending on what's going on with them.

I don't know if that's proper procedure, just the way I've done it these past 9 1/2 MONTHS (not years) of experience.

-WM

Lburou · « **Reply #5 on:** February 08, 2017, 01:39:15 pm »

Our bee season started yesterday. Excitement is in the air!

You could never post too many pictures of your desert in bloom...Please, post pics of your desert in a 100 year explosion of color.

Nugget Shooter · « **Reply #6 on:** February 08, 2017, 03:52:57 pm »

I will indeed post photos for you good folks and likely bore the heck out of you

Perry · « **Reply #7 on:** February 08, 2017, 04:43:14 pm »

No school today, and we are buckling down for a Nor 'Easter tomorrow, up to 40 cm (1') of snow expected!

Warm pics would be hugely appreciated.

Wandering Man · « **Reply #8 on:** February 08, 2017, 07:03:55 pm »

It's a little late in the day, but there was still some sun. Do these help?

Perry · « **Reply #9 on:** February 08, 2017, 08:06:34 pm »

Maters and cucs already?

Our last frost date up here before we plant any of those is May 20th!

Wandering Man · « **Reply #10 on:** February 08, 2017, 09:00:22 pm »

Tomatoes, yellow squash, and bell peppers.

She's trying to cut back on the number of plants after our overly large harvest of tomatoes in December.

riverbee · « **Reply #11 on:** February 08, 2017, 09:43:26 pm »

nugget shooter, ya mean like this?................

you did good removing entrance reducers.......when we are seeing 'congestion' and 'traffic jams' at the front door, open the e/r's or remove them completely!

great pix wm, enjoyed!

it's zero degrees f here!

Jen · « **Reply #12 on:** February 08, 2017, 10:30:40 pm »

I love that video so much!

Nugget Shooter · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2017, 08:56:40 am »

Yep riverbee like that and others are landing on the board, or trying to resulting in their nectar laden selves rolling a time or two

Perry · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2017, 02:30:09 pm »

Quote from: Nugget Shooter on February 09, 2017, 08:56:40 am

Yep riverbee like that and others are landing on the board, or trying to resulting in their nectar laden selves rolling a time or two

Don't tell me you've never come home after a hard "afternoon out", after having a sup or two and didn't stumble when you hit the doorstep at home. My wife remembers finding me sleeping just inside the front door where our neighbour left me after I collapsed on the doorstep after a "crash landing".

Jen · « **Reply #15 on:** February 09, 2017, 03:10:52 pm »

Hahahahha Perry! During our prime years we had a few flops on the doorstep as well. The funniest flop for hubby is when he decided not to drive home but to walk. Smart man. Picture him in full on Dracula costume. He walked, or I should say stumbled, home all thru town and the neighborhoods, came in the house and spent the night on the bathroom floor. To much nectar. Awwww yes, those were the days my friend.

Nugget Shooter · « **Reply #16 on:** February 09, 2017, 03:12:10 pm »

Hey Perry, no one told me I would have to admit to such things here

But you are correct and I was full of nectar so to speak

Perry · « **Reply #17 on:** February 09, 2017, 06:08:51 pm »

NOW the truth starts coming out!

Nugget Shooter · « **Reply #18 on:** February 11, 2017, 12:32:13 pm »

I bet it is pretty darn hard to fly with a load like this and man are these bees working hard....

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #19 on:** February 11, 2017, 02:09:21 pm »

This pic taken at cover it up's
Mon.