FYI - out 'normal' (as this year isn't a typical) year pollen flow has been out for several weeks now. I think we're into the typical 'hot and dry' summer and potential bee stress timelines...
Most people, if they have any honey, are pulling it out now or real shortly- and letting the bees settle in for the summer and get ready for the winter.
I'm still trying to 'build up' my hives and since I've gotten the 2 packages to finally get going - I've been feeding them for several reasons (ps - i don't really want to feed as this isn't natural for them, but need to for now to get them 'ready' for next year)
- As I had to take some eggs from H1 to get H2 going (bad queen with spotty pattern and bees not really happy with her), this hive is finally starting to do well with allot of good brood pattern, honey and pollen stores. I'm going to try and create a NUC from it this weekend - but more on that later.
- H1 had a sluggish start due to the frame-stealing I had to do - but is doing pretty well now with lots of brood, honey and pollen stores. Gonna try to make a NUC from it .. more later
- Our year hasn't been normal. Usually by the middle of march our pollen counts are really high and our cars are literally green until the middle of June due to so much 'popping' out at the same time. With the weather been so rainy and cool, most people have been having issues with their bees this year. It seems that there have been 'great' spurts in different area's - but overall pretty slow.
- Due to the sluggish/non-typical year of pollen - I want the bees to have plenty to survive this year and be 'boomers' for next year.
Note - I put a 5-gallon feeder out about 6 days ago and it was empty yesterday. Talk about 'bulking' up. I'm going to have to do something else for them - like honey supers or possibly other deeps to keep them active till I'm ready to split in the next week or so. ....
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