September nectar flow?

[Adam]

I checked a couple of hives on Monday and noticed plenty of pollen in brood frames. As long as it doesn’t go mouldy it should give them a good start next spring. Somewhere on this forum there was a discussion about how poor the bees were doing due to a lack of pollen and bad weather a year or two ago. I can’t remember when it was but hopefully it won’t be the same next spring.
I work with round 2 litre feeders and they need 5 or 6 fills so my feeding usually lasts a few weeks. To avoid using buckets and spilling syrup everywhere I now use plastic 2 litre bottles. One per hive holds the right amount.

This spring I inspected after a few weeks of cold weather and the nucs had no pollen and hence little open brood. The large colonies were OK as they had probably piled in the pollen the previous autumn which the small colonies were unable to do. Once the weather improved, then the colonies made good. It might be worth thinking about moving a frame of pollen from large well-stocked colonies when making up nucs rather than just giving them syrup.

I am not convinced that the feed patties that have been heavily advertised over recent years are something that should be given as a matter of course.

[Jambo]

It was 20 degC around Aberdeen yesterday afternoon if my car thermometer is to be believed - bees very active and I've noticed they have lost the robbing desire they had a couple of weeks ago - the extractor I put outside for them to clean up has been ignored.

[Adam]

My girls are getting a little - well some of them only as they seem to have found Himalayan Balsam a good distance away. Ivy nectar has not started although I expect it to soon. Lots of orange pollen coming into some hives.
24 degrees yesterday and probably warmer today!

[Mellifera Crofter]

It was a bit wet and windy today - but I was happy and surprised to see some of my bees near the Deveron arriving back covered in white like little ghost figures:

IMG_2473.jpg

Kitta

[wee willy]

They’ve been visiting Himalayan Balsam .


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[Mellifera Crofter]

Yes, thanks Willy. I should have mentioned that! There’s a lot growing by the river.

[Adam]

Looks like ivy is starting now.

[wee willy]

Looks like ivy is starting now.

It’s starting here but very slow as of yet !


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[madasafish]

Ivy here is a month away. Still HB but first light frost this am so limited life if frosts continue.

I started feeding pollen patties early spring in bad weather when bees cannot forage.. seems to work (I also do it when Q rearing)