The Honey Factory

[Apis mellifera]

Rainy and cold here. Made two splits last week to stop swarming, bees are moving forward in spite of the weather. I'll have to split the overwintered nucs this week. Drones are starting to fly now but Im just not feeling the queen rearing yet until we start getting better weather.

Took out the push in cage Thursday, all good in the saved nuc.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I hear you about overwintered Nucs getting very crowded. The ones that didn't run low on stores are booming! That's where I got the brood to boost things. Only took a frame from each and added a box for expansion. Those nuc stacks will be the back bone of queen rearing and started colonies in the next two months.

I also lost a queen this winter. No idea why but I was concerned about spring dwindle. My horizontal came out of winter with 9 frames of bees then went to 5 then to 3 before I opened it up to find queen less. Moved a starving nuc colony that had a queen and handful of bees left into it.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

All the crews are out pounding the Blue Berry blossoms, come on July (honey time). Only have 2lbs Fall Honey left!

 

[Sally PB]

I need to buy another gallon from my bee guy Ed to tide us over until our own.

The girls did well on the cherry trees! Lots of cherries developing. There were lots of other types of bees at work too.

Yay BEES!

 

[itsasmallfarm]

people are just starting to un wrap the hives around here. from winter. another week or two and will un-wrap ours.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

I need to buy another gallon from my bee guy Ed to tide us over until our own.

The girls did well on the cherry trees! Lots of cherries developing. There were lots of other types of bees at work too.

Yay BEES!

Holly trees are showing buds which come after Blue Berrys, Holly adds a little heat to the sweet. People are already asking my wife when. She tells them neither the bees or Him (me) do anything fast, but she will let them know. Stopped at the local farm, talk about Sticker Shock, 1/2 lb $9.00, 1 lb $18.00 and a 2 lb jar $36.00, maybe I should start selling instead of gifting........Nah, a dozen or so folks aren't going to make or break me.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Northeast Kingdom at 1200 ft blossom report-

Tuesdays sun brought forth the first few Dandelion and started blossoms on cherry trees. Willow is ongoing with weeping starting today. Crab apple is swelling to pop and apple still two weeks away when Dandelion have already peaked.

 

[Sally PB]

There's a thorn apple in bloom that the bees are working. I know of two trees/shrubs in bloom right now, and one is on our property.

I think I've spent about $350-400 in plants for the bees this spring.

Even though Seven Sons is listed as "medium" for deer browsing, they browsed it here! I hastily put some fence around them yesterday. They had been "trimmed." They will be fine.

 

[R2elk]

There's a thorn apple in bloom that the bees are working. I know of two trees/shrubs in bloom right now, and one is on our property.

I think I've spent about $350-400 in plants for the bees this spring.

Even though Seven Sons is listed as "medium" for deer browsing, they browsed it here! I hastily put some fence around them yesterday. They had been "trimmed." They will be fine.

For the most part the advertisers are full of it when it comes to their "deer resistant" claims.

 

[jerryse]

Black locust is in bloom here.