I trust everyone is enjoying Memorial Day and taking note of the many posts and comments regarding the importance of this day and how it is being lost or overlooked by so many Americans. I really have nothing to add and agree with all I have read so all I can do is point and nod.
Swarm number three turned into a false alarm. I am not really sure how that many bees were coming and going without there being an actual swarm inside but my premature move may have cost me. Yesterday I saw little to no activity around any of my traps, except for ants of course. So my tally is still five full hives and the small swarm that is still in a nuc.
The latest round of mowing is finished again and now it is time to catch up on garden work and weeding before the swarm trap clean out begins all over again tomorrow.
At this point I am really beginning to think my theory on available and abandoned old feral hive sites is spot on as I have been seeing many a scout bee but they are not hitting my traps like they did last year. The latest swarm I got in the nuc has also made me wonder if possibly the swarms are coming out small this year and my traps are maybe a bit too large to be as appealing. The smaller the cavity the more availability in the wild of course as well.
Still nothing to worry about though. Last years peak swarm time was late May and that was after the mild 2011-2012 Winter. It wouldn't surprise me if we are running two weeks or more late on the schedule this year at all.
Time will tell.
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!
I am learning so much about Bees from You and a few other bloggers.. It really is fasinating, so thank you.
ReplyDeleteJuGM - You are very welcome!!! Thanks for commenting :)
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ReplyDeleteWe here remember the importance of today!!!!
Glad to hear your grass cutting is finished and now your concentrating more time on your bee's. Sorry to hear about the bee's not hitting your traps.
Agreed, the weather has been so weird your peaks have more than likely moved a couple of weeks.
Be careful on Wednesday and Thursday, weather kicking up again for potential tornadoes.
Sandy - Yep the grass cutting is done for like maybe three more days. With this much rain it grows super fast. Also I am getting like zero grass clippings from my cuttings as it isn't even having enough time to dry before being rained on.
DeleteWe had a whopper of a storm today... Actually two today.
Do you recall I said this was going to be a wet summer or at lest spring?? Snow in upstate NY in May?? Who passed out the drugs. Does the cool and wet weather have an effect on the bees??
ReplyDeleteRob - Well it has been wet but really not that much wetter than normal around here yet. Even last year at this time I was fighting the rain and my garden was completely overgrown because it was too wet to get out there. Then the rains just stopped...For good.
DeleteYes the rain and cold will keep the girls from building up as fast as they should. So far we have been getting fast storms the last few weeks which means the girls can still get out in between. It also has warmed up for us the last few weeks as well. The weather we have been getting has been pretty good for the bees really.
Just poor for yard and garden work.
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