Good luck everyone for this season.
Its been a strange few years what with Covid and actual hot Summers the last 2 years in my location, a real eye opener for me in how the bees react to heat. My bees blocked off every possible source of ventilation at the Summers greatest heat. Once again I find my bees totally contradict the folklore and often recited mantra that we are fed from the powers that be. Ventilation
my bees hate it at anytime.
What has been noticeable the last few years has been the dreadful Springs and lack of foraging days leading to brood breaks in May which has probably helped swarm prevention with many colonies making no attempts at all. About 70% of my crop used to come by mid June but the last 2 years I haven't had a single sealed frame by the end of May, but they more than made up for it over what used to be the dearth season. I never get any light clear honey now, its always a medium/dark honey which I can only put down to climate change as I have had colonies in these locations for 12 years, the forage is the same but the flying days are different so they are getting more of something later and less of something else earlier.
Looking forward to another year of learning about what my bees can and will do, the learning curve hasn't straightened at all
Its been a strange few years what with Covid and actual hot Summers the last 2 years in my location, a real eye opener for me in how the bees react to heat. My bees blocked off every possible source of ventilation at the Summers greatest heat. Once again I find my bees totally contradict the folklore and often recited mantra that we are fed from the powers that be. Ventilation
my bees hate it at anytime.What has been noticeable the last few years has been the dreadful Springs and lack of foraging days leading to brood breaks in May which has probably helped swarm prevention with many colonies making no attempts at all. About 70% of my crop used to come by mid June but the last 2 years I haven't had a single sealed frame by the end of May, but they more than made up for it over what used to be the dearth season. I never get any light clear honey now, its always a medium/dark honey which I can only put down to climate change as I have had colonies in these locations for 12 years, the forage is the same but the flying days are different so they are getting more of something later and less of something else earlier.
Looking forward to another year of learning about what my bees can and will do, the learning curve hasn't straightened at all
