gavin

End of November ...

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... and they're still bringing in pollen.

First visit to my main apiary today for about 2 months. The bees were flying vigorously, maybe not such a surprise with the temperature somewhere near 11C. One colony was piling in the pale yellow pollen and I reckon it was coming from a rape field just under a km away which has a lot of charlock in flower. Given the hard frosts earlier this week that was a bit of a surprise. I've been a bit distracted of late and so today those needing a mouse guard were getting theirs. With all the flying activity I doubt that any mice were trapped inside. From looking at the floor inserts some colonies have been raising a fair amount of brood and it wouldn't surprise me if they need fondant early next year. Nice to see everything in order.

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Updated 27-11-2013 at 08:49 PM by gavin

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  1. The Drone Ranger's Avatar
    They were collecting the light yellow pollen here as well not sure where they were finding it but there was plenty available
  2. gavin's Avatar
    Look out for the yellow weeds in arable fields, not usually cereal fields as the herbicide gets them. It was impressive how many had found it given the poor flying weather recently - the big advantage of efficient communication I suppose.
  3. gavin's Avatar
    And on the first of December there was a flow on for one Dundee hive! Is that Gordonia still in flower FD?

    It was 10C in town today and a small tortoiseshell butterfly fly strongly straight over the allotment at lunchtime. I was probably changing the local microclimate with all that digging activity.
  4. busybeephilip's Avatar
    I've a field of what I think is turnips or old cabbage that is flowering, bees are covered in it. Getting woried about the warm weather as they are still breeding, when it gets cold (when?) the bees will have brood to feed and will try to fly in cold windy weather to forage. This will cause the hives to weaken rapidly. Plan to delay the OA until 3rd week in Jan if its cold enough !