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Author Topic: Slow build up  (Read 2684 times)

Offline 220

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Slow build up
« on: November 25, 2017, 03:03:11 pm »
With the past winter being my first I was a bit concerned my bees were very slow building up in spring.
While there have been lots of reports of others making good honey crops mine have been making nothing and all bar one hive were still in the bottom box with roughly 4 frames of brood a bit of pollen and nectar a few weeks ago.
Bit of a difference yesterday, they have all exploded the past 2 weeks, all now have the bottom boxes full and the top boxes 50% with a little brood in the top boxes.

We still haven't had a day above 30c with average temp for this month being max 24c and min 7c. We were still getting overnight frosts until early this month and the ave max for Oct was less than 20c. Seems the bees know exactly what they are doing, noticed the first blackberry flower yesterday so should really kick off in a week or so and the bees look like they have timed it perfectly to take advantage of the flow.

Offline Stumpkicker

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Re: Slow build up
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2017, 04:59:26 am »
Well that's encouraging for you (and me). I checked my first hive for the first time last week and was disappointed there wasn't any capped honey cells. Figured they weren't working hard enough, so I'd go down before dawn and beat the boxes with a stick. That got them flying. :wink: Just kidding. Patience is what's needed it would seem. My Dad says the consistent good rain we've been getting in SE Qld dosen't help the flow. All the best, Kel
Kel

Offline eltalia

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Re: Slow build up
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2017, 04:04:51 pm »
Rain to us is what Fall is to northern hemisphere colonies without the snow following - flora washes out and bees do house keeping and consume
stores. Often in prolonged periods - more than seven days - a brood break ensues.
This summer at a time when bush and field is bursting with flora the early rains are seeing bees at home and so little happening beyond general activity. The upside is cool days with temps hovering around 24 to 32 degrees celcius - a most pleasant northern summer :)

Bill

 

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