Any other Floridian beeks want to answer questions or provide some tips? Up North the honey flow was in the spring and by July my hives were loaded with honey. I have had problems getting my new hive going, so that may be an issue, but I have no honey. I had 5 frames of drawn comb, some with honey, and I put in 5 frames of foundationed and partially drawn comb with a cut out colony I hived. I fed initially, but stopped after they had a good start with syrup stored in the combs. The combs didn't fill up and the stores soon disappeared--including the capped honey I put in. I have gone back to feeding again and once again they have started to store it in the combs. Since the combs weren't filling up and they were slow to draw out the other frames, I took out the undrawn frames to focus their energies and to aid in SHB defence, but they still aren't filling. At first I suspected robbing by carpenter ants that are thick around here. I buttered the cinder blocks that support the hive with axle grease which deterred them, but they are still getting in, just not in as great of numbers. I haven't seen enough ants coming and going to believe they are emptying the stores. They are coming for the syrup, I think.
Is the flow earlier in the year when the oranges bloom? Is FL lacking in nectar sources? Up North my honey was mostly clover, but there is no clover in SW FL. There are lots of palms and palmettos blooming that are swarming with all manner of bees and wasps, but I think they only provide pollen rather than nectar. I live in Bonita Springs--between Naples and Ft. Myers on the coast. Can I plant a nectar source that will live in this climate? I never had to try to do anything for my bees up north. I put them in the box and they did their thing without any help from me. I'm perplexed...