Old Speckled Hen Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 When will it stop? The flowers that the bees should be using this time of year have had the living daylights bashed out of them so I doubt there is much for them when they do get out. I managed to get into a three of the boxes and they are getting low on stores so I've fed them a little. The other two are a swarm in a 14 x 12 and a sickly shook swarm on fumadil( all taken down now) in a poly nuc so they both got a little feed without looking inside. Spring started so wonderfully ...................sigh How's everybody else's bee weather? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 No bees here but no rain either, hasn't rained for weeks...bet it rains today now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migsy Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I don't have bees but the chicken run is a mud bath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Rain? Send it down here, please! We have not had more than a brief shower for about six weeks - the bees have gone mad with so many flowers out, but with no rain the nectar flow is likely to dry up soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I don't have bees but my poor girls were very wet yesterday and were looking quite sorry for themselves....thankfully it is dry today Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 RAIN 2 months and counting. Apparently we've had 10ml in past month. Although I have to say my flower border is looking a picture (for the first time - its only taken 5 years ) probably because it is established and so the plants have got deep roots - I picked 8 different sorts of scented rose last week for the house. I'm hoping the blackcurrants will have a concentrated flavour with the sun we had a couple of weeks ago. However, the poland's pen is baked mud - I can't move them around to fresh grass as I can't get the fence poles in! Its chilly now - that thread about turning the heating on is finally relevant for me. The bees are flying and there is plenty of forage, though as Olly says it may not last. However, I've got one sickly colony, one bouncing colony and one strong but small colony. I'd like it to be a tad warmer before lifting the lid again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 We haven't had much rain since February but it is so windy here, we have to keep putting off proposed hive inspections Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migsy Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 We have wind and rain in Manchester It seems like it will never stop. They sky is permanently gray and it seems to get wetter every day. Come on sun, my ex batts have never seen you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken shack Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Rain What is that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 No rain here for weeks. The allotment is turning to a dustbowl and nothing much new is growing. The bees are thriving. As we are bad beginner bee keepers we had a swarm, but managed to collect it and rehome it into our second hive. The original hive is looking healthy ( we will inspect next week - have been leaving it to make sure the new queen gets nurtured and begins to lay before interfering), and the first ever honey has been cleared It had to be done quickly in case they had flown to the OSR, although the early look of the honey suggests that they stuck to all the lovely fruit blossom and flowers in the village. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 21, 2011 Author Share Posted May 21, 2011 Our bees are starving owing to the constant bad weather. Am feeding all mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 Hope they survive and thrive OSH. We looked at ours on Friday and have put a 2nd super on the strong colony, found a frame of pure honey in the brood box as well as eggs and larvae in the small colony (this is the lot who took ages to realise there was life beyond their original 4 frames) so we've put a super on there, and best of all the relatively inactive colony (which was a swarm and very productive last year) now has a queen and eggs and larvae and plenty of activity (at one stage we couldn't find the queen and everything was very slow indeed in there). We think the old girl has been superceded and now we hope the colony will build up quickly. We put a super on just in case! I expect we now all have strong winds to contend with as well as either drought or excess rain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted May 23, 2011 Author Share Posted May 23, 2011 Thanks, Daphne, I have just been out in a downpour to feed all five hives Rest of the month is forecast similar so that means ALL May would have been wet. Why on earth did I think I could keep bees in Cumbria.........sigh. I won't give up but I'm so despondent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 We have wind and rain in Manchester It seems like it will never stop. They sky is permanently gray and it seems to get wetter every day. Come on sun, my ex batts have never seen you! In fairness, we're used to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migsy Posted May 23, 2011 Share Posted May 23, 2011 We have wind and rain in Manchester It seems like it will never stop. They sky is permanently gray and it seems to get wetter every day. Come on sun, my ex batts have never seen you! In fairness, we're used to it Too right! I'm expecting some roof tiles to be blown off any time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
