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Thread: todays news

  1. #2451
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon View Post
    First blink of sunshine it could be mayhem.
    It's been cold and wet here for weeks, but swarm calls are starting to come in. So far none of our swarm collectors has taken a prime swarm, they've all been tiny only on a couple of frames at best. They're beginning to wonder if the prime swarms have gone during a short break in the weather.

  2. #2452
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    They're beginning to wonder if the prime swarms have gone during a short break in the weather.
    There was a 3 day spell 21-23 April when it was about 19c here and swarms went off in that period. Since then it has been cold so I think colonies would have been quite unlikely to throw casts.
    The people I spoke to had been overfeeding which likely induced the swarms.

    My colonies here are building up well but are getting lighter.

  3. #2453
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jon View Post
    My colonies here are building up well but are getting lighter.
    Aye, things are nicely poised, I saw horse chestnut candles yesterday, sycamores threatening and hawthorn is on the verge whilst the Apple blossom in the biggest orchard I have bees in is just coming towards its best. I think with the recent cold having held back the colonies a bit everything's waiting to explode as we get the higher temperatures forecasted for this week.

  4. #2454
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mbc View Post
    I think with the recent cold having held back the colonies a bit everything's waiting to explode as we get the higher temperatures forecasted for this week.
    It was a bit of an eye-opener seeing how light some of the colonies were at the association apiary yesterday. Soon to go and check out as many of mine as I can see before the heavy rain returns later, and I'll be taking feed with me. Some of my apiaries are near OSR but others are not - it is the latter that might be suffering.

    It looks like tomorrow may be a decent foraging day, then Tues and Wed might give them brief foraging windows but after that I'll be back to starvation watch for a while according to the forecast for the rest of May.

  5. #2455
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    A bit gloomy Gavin, I'm still organising some hired help to get the huge spring crop in at the end of May.

  6. #2456
    Senior Member busybeephilip's Avatar
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    Its lookin like May is going to be a really bad month weatherwise

  7. #2457
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    And June is always poor around here so looking like just the July honey crop this year.
    Your colonies up to full strength Phil. Most of mine are not far off it.
    Could do with decent weather but it's not looking good for the next 10 days.

  8. #2458
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    Yes we can get a cold east wind - sometimes it's warm enough for mating inland and a few degrees cooler on the coast which I am always miffed about. I'm about 2 miles from the sea. Spring starts a week or so later than 20 miles inland. We don't get so many cold frosts in winter though.

    Forecast is 22 degrees tomorrow. If so, and I have a queen that emerged on Thursday - she just might go out and mate. It will be the quickest I've had IF it happens. Often with beekeeping our hopes and expectations are dashed!

  9. #2459
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    June is usually poor for me too. I have 4 hives at the side of a field and there's a strip of clover and pollinator friendly plants that went in last year. With luck they'll help out a tiny bit until the bramble starts.

  10. #2460
    Senior Member Jon's Avatar
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    I reckon 6 days from emergence for the earliest chance of a mating flight but you know what they say about the rare genetics in Norfolk!

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