Jon
Time to start 2013 blog
by
, 15-03-2013 at 08:43 PM (12534 Views)
Just had a look at what I was writing this time last year and it was all so much better. Strong colonies and it was over 20c apparently on 27th March and a colony had 7 frames of brood.
I have about the same number of colonies I had this time last year but they are nowhere near as strong.
A lot of the nucs I made up in July and August just dwindled to nothing by mid January which was a disappointment.
This has been a rough year for bees.
The weather turned wet cool and windy from the start of June and has never really improved.
Bees needed to be fed in June.
The autumn was no better and the ivy pollen was nearly a month late and it was too cold for the bees to forage it when it finally appeared.
I have a lot of small colonies which could still succumb in a cold spell but I will do the best I can to keep them alive and then try and build them up later by adding emerging brood from stronger ones.
Locally there have been loads of reports of beekeepers taking heavy losses and a lot of people who normally work six to eight seem to be down to one or two already.
Warm weather is needed soon but the forecast for next week is not great.