How's your summer flow doing?

[Millet]

I wonder what the rescue horses think about the state of the grazing?

There is still more than enough clean grass..

 

[Swarm]

No, I know what Ling looks like and I said colouring up not full bloom.
Lots of stuff very early this year, seen silver back bees in early June, Bramble all but done, however a fair amount still in bud down the Vale in Southerndown, yesterday and some Limes in flower while others about to burst opposite Whitchurch High School the day before.
A very strange season but some very nice towers atm

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The Ling is beginning to colour up on the Brecon Beacons.

Hope it will hang fire a while up here - still a half decent flow on, Balsam has been open a couple of weeks now and they're working it, still plently of bramble about as well as white clover. need them to ripen the pile of supers they have on already (extracted some this week) so I can clear it off to make room for the heather

 

[peterbees]

I went on a circular tour of North Wales by train on Wednesday. Plenty of bell heather to be seen, less Himalayan balsam than expected. Looking forward to the ling.

 

[Eyeman]

Flow along the Mersey valley has been the best I've seen for many-a-year.
The spring & early summer flow equaled last years total. Plenty of ghost bees coming in with the abundant balsam. Doing lots of combining / requeening to try and keep colonies strong enough to take advantage of the forage.

 

[preyingmantos]

A clearer picture is starting to develop and i'm astonished that we may not meet our long term average (around 100lbs)> It was all looking so good!

 

[Eyeman]

A clearer picture is starting to develop and i'm astonished that we may not meet our long term average (around 100lbs)> It was all looking so good!

Is that a virtual average as you seem to have no hives !

 

[Ely]

I think the flow is pretty much over in this neck of the woods. I'm contemplating harvesting early. How does it fare for others?

 

[Poly Hive]

Been very poor here since June. There is a dribble coming in at the moment so not having to feed quite yet.

On the plus side I have identified a potential heather site for next season so that will be a bonus.

PH

 

[Anduril]

Taken supers off and put empty ones back on as there is still a flow.

 

[enrico]

Still ticking over well here. White pollen, not balsam, could be clover.....
E

 

[jeff33]

Seems to have slow down for the last 2-3 weeks, gonna extract over the next week or so and let them have the ivy.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Still ticking over well here. White pollen, not balsam, could be clover.....
E

The white pollen I am seeing is Honeysuckle

 

[Millet]

Still ticking over well here. White pollen, not balsam, could be clover.....
E

I think clover has Brown pollen, well the bees i have seen on Clover have brown baskets but they may have been on something else prior to clover.

 

[gregior]

Fantastic balsam flow on here this week,almost as good as the flow we had from the bramble the last week of June.Been a very good honey year for me.

 

[Finman]

Still ticking over well here. White pollen, not balsam, could be clover.....
E

Clovers have brown pollen.

Thistles have white. Centaureas have white.

 

[Zante]

Almost nothing here. Hardly storing anything, they seem to be bringing in just enough to feed themselves. I am basically waiting for the moment I'll have to feed them.

 

[enrico]

Thanks for the pollen info, bad guess, quantity would suggest it isn't honeysuckle, no idea then!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks for the pollen info, bad guess, quantity would suggest it isn't honeysuckle, no idea then!
E

Mind you. If it was balsam maybe the bees would clean it off themselves?

 

[manek]

Brown pollen, nothing being stored since the weather's so lousy. I'm considering taking the supers off, extracting what little is still capped and leaving them to the rest. Am I being premature?