Are your bees making honey?

[busybee53]

I will be surprised if I have any honey to extract this season.

The weather, having my best hive stolen, dividing the remaining one and losing a swarm even though I took steps to prevent it have all taken their toll. This week I have had to feed my poor bees and my pile of supers are unused.

Let me know if you are in a similar situation so I don't feel so bad.
Or if you have extracted a crop already remind me what I am missing!

Cheers.

 

[2_dive]

Just extracted and bottled 75lbs from one colony

 

[Winker]

I just extracted 105lbs from three colony's

 

[the beehive lodge]

sorry to here that your bees have been stolen the B*** im in manchester weather bad mine are holding their own lets hope weather is nice so we can just check on them bee at leased -smillie

 

[barratt_sab]

Mixed year so far. We have from 6 hives on 4 sites - 5 of our own and one hive that we help manage for the local WI, From these 6, so far this year we've got:

75lb off one hive
50lb off another
15lb off a third

Nothing at all off the other three - but they are:

one new cast from this year
one cut-out from this year
one queen failed, but took ages to do so, so there weren't enough bees when the OSR was out

Can you guess which 5 are ours and which 1 isn't?

Yup - the WI has had (another) good year.

 

[Queens59]

We have taken 66lb of honey so far off 3 1/2 supers, with 5 frames still on hives waiting to seal over...sorry bb53

 

[protheroe]

nothing yet,a few heavy supers but nothing capped.No osr round here and typical welsh weather

 

[VEG]

not much at the moment most have 2 supers on but more to do with giving bees room. On a happier note the balsom is shooting up

 

[Queens59]

I saw the first poster for a 'Balsam Bashing Day' to be held in a couple of weeks time...

 

[VEG]

Plenty of it here

 

[Ely]

I may have had a little if the weather was fine while they've been queenless. Bloody weather

 

[Oscarmonster]

110lbs of OSR from 2 hives in the 2 weeks the sun came out. Will have to keep a close eye on stores now though.

 

[blackcavebees]

Almost 1 super full but not capped yet, but no OSR near me and weather awful, but also did a split 3 weeks ago so hoping for a bit of sunshine

 

[dpearce4]

6 supers off 5 hives not all full but needed to be removed due to OSR total from them 120lb.

have field beans and clover all round coming into flower hope its dry enough for the bees to forage them soon.

 

[djg]

Looking on the bright side....

Could it be that the awful weather will allow my slow-Spring-build-up bees to catch up - and then be ready for a strong nectar flow later this month ?

Keeping my fingers crossed that the Limes are late this year, so some honey in prospect, wheras all looked lost for any honey surplus a few weeks ago.

 

[Salamagundy]

nothing yet,a few heavy supers but nothing capped.No osr round here and typical welsh weather

Nothing here so far. Reassured to read that yours are at the same stage as mine, Protheroe. Also glad I didn't go ahead with the order for a pallet of jars I was considering a few weeks ago. I guess the supers I rushed to knock up will come in handy eventually. More rain forecast for next week....

 

[VEG]

mmm I wonder if balsom seed has a good price

 

[Phayze]

hives built up quite well when q was virgin then had a lot of drones visiting not so full anymore wasnt a lot but this will be my first crop if it happens so at the minute nothing

 

[victor meldrew]

mmm I wonder if balsom seed has a good price

Balsam growing at apace here but not flowering yet !
VM

 

[YorkshireBees]

Sorry to hear about your bees being stolen. It's a nightmare. I try as much as possible to be secretive about my out apiaries but still worry they may be spotted!

Well after a slow start the OSR came and went and I have done two extractions so far taking a total of just over 230lbs from my hives with some still waiting to be sealed.
Loads more in the brood boxes but I am leaving that for the colonies.

Lets see what the next few months brings both weather and forage wise.