Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Nugget Shooter on February 08, 2017, 09:33:43 am

Title: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 08, 2017, 09:33:43 am
OK going into my second year with 6 hives and right now we are beginning our spring flow and seeing this type of activity is amazing to me. 4 of our colonies are booming and working so hard it blows me away and some of the returning foragers are so laden with nectar they crash and roll on the landing boards or miss and fall to the ground then having to fly with much effort back up the 2 feet to the hive. The other 2 are smaller colonies, but also working at a fast pace and I know most of you see this as normal, but having not seen them work with a big flow coming on I am blown away by these little bugs. I had to remove the entrance reducers yesterday as there was too much congestion with all the exiting and returning foragers.

Temps here are in the mid 70s and low 80s and the wild flowers are now starting to get going good with a "once in a 100 year" bloom being predicted by those in the know and I agree it is really gonna be something to see with rains timed perfectly and lots of it. The desert just comes alive when this happens and it is an amazing site....

Looks like we will be getting a honey harvest perhaps this May or June...... ?

First year was an adventure getting to know beekeeping and bees, but I also see I have much to learn....  :yes:
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: neillsayers on February 08, 2017, 11:41:51 am
Great report N S!

Hope we get some of the same. Springtime forage here is mostly trees, but some of them make a lot of nectar from time to time. Hope this is one of those times. I sure wish I could visit your desert. I always loved the forbidding beauty of the desert but have never seen it in bloom.
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Jen on February 08, 2017, 12:15:57 pm
Hey Nug! Ain't it wonderful! Excited for you  ;D 8)

We have a barrage of rain right now which will help our spring blooms so much. I have 3 hives and 3 nucs surviving at the moment. Still feeding sugar cakes about once a week. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: tedh on February 08, 2017, 12:22:59 pm
Oh man, I can feel your excitement!
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Wandering Man on February 08, 2017, 01:09:52 pm
Nugget Shooter,

I've been enjoying watching the girls crammed up at the entrance too.

In stead of removing my entrance reducers, I'm going to replace them with entrance reducers that offer a wider opening.  I'm not sure my girls are quite ready to protect the whole width of the entrance.  I've got several sticks of wood of varying lengths that I put in and take out, depending on what's going on with them.

I don't know if that's proper procedure, just the way I've done it these past 9 1/2 MONTHS (not years) of experience.

-WM
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Lburou on February 08, 2017, 01:39:15 pm
Our bee season started yesterday.  Excitement is in the air!

You could never post too many pictures of your desert in bloom...Please, post pics of your desert in a 100 year explosion of color.  :)
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 08, 2017, 03:52:57 pm
I will indeed post photos for you good folks and likely bore the heck out of you  :laugh:
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Perry on February 08, 2017, 04:43:14 pm
No school today, and we are buckling down for a Nor 'Easter tomorrow, up to 40 cm (1') of snow expected! :sad:

Warm pics would be hugely appreciated. ;D
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Wandering Man on February 08, 2017, 07:03:55 pm

It's a little late in the day, but there was still some sun.  Do these help?


(https://s24.postimg.cc/7k3f0lsbl/2017_02_08_Around_the_house_13.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/7k3f0lsbl/)


(https://s24.postimg.cc/kcrj0j3xd/2017_02_08_Around_the_house_14.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/kcrj0j3xd/)


(https://s29.postimg.cc/6lvdh4577/2017_02_08_Around_the_house_175.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6lvdh4577/)


(https://s29.postimg.cc/6n5baj70z/2017_02_08_Around_the_house_375.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6n5baj70z/)


(https://s29.postimg.cc/wjyzn5aoj/2017_02_08_Around_the_house_875.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/wjyzn5aoj/)


(https://s29.postimg.cc/osi9ol6j7/2017_02_08_Around_the_house_1075.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/osi9ol6j7/)


(https://s29.postimg.cc/3k96kwhg3/2017_02_08_Around_the_house_1275.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/3k96kwhg3/)

Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Perry on February 08, 2017, 08:06:34 pm
Maters and cucs already? :o
Our last frost date up here before we plant any of those is May 20th!
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Wandering Man on February 08, 2017, 09:00:22 pm
Tomatoes, yellow squash, and bell peppers.

She's trying to cut back on the number of plants after our overly large harvest of tomatoes in December.
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: riverbee on February 08, 2017, 09:43:26 pm
nugget shooter, ya mean like this?................ :D

https://youtu.be/WtJmI5SooMI

you did good removing entrance reducers.......when we are seeing 'congestion' and 'traffic jams' at the front door, open the e/r's or remove them completely!

great pix wm, enjoyed! 

it's zero degrees f here! 
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Jen on February 08, 2017, 10:30:40 pm
I love that video so much!
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 09, 2017, 08:56:40 am
Yep riverbee like that and others are landing on the board, or trying to resulting in their nectar laden selves rolling a time or two  :laugh:
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Perry on February 09, 2017, 02:30:09 pm
Yep riverbee like that and others are landing on the board, or trying to resulting in their nectar laden selves rolling a time or two  :laugh:

Don't tell me you've never come home after a hard "afternoon out", after having a sup or two and didn't stumble when you hit the doorstep at home. My wife remembers finding me sleeping just inside the front door where our neighbour left me after I collapsed on the doorstep after a "crash landing". :laugh:
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Jen on February 09, 2017, 03:10:52 pm
Hahahahha Perry! During our prime years we had a few flops on the doorstep as well. The funniest flop for hubby is when he decided not to drive home but to walk. Smart man. Picture him in full on Dracula costume. He walked, or I should say stumbled, home all thru town and the neighborhoods, came in the house and spent the night on the bathroom floor. To much nectar. Awwww yes, those were the days my friend.
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 09, 2017, 03:12:10 pm
Hey Perry, no one told me I would have to admit to such things here  :o But you are correct and I was full of nectar so to speak  :laugh:
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Perry on February 09, 2017, 06:08:51 pm
NOW the truth starts coming out! :laugh:
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 11, 2017, 12:32:13 pm
I bet it is pretty darn hard to fly with a load like this and man are these bees working hard....




(https://s30.postimg.cc/skv2nbni5/loaded.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/skv2nbni5/)
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Mikey N.C. on February 11, 2017, 02:09:21 pm
This pic taken at cover it up's
Mon.
(https://s29.postimg.cc/m4turi5pv/20170206_115503.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/m4turi5pv/)
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: tedh on February 11, 2017, 04:16:11 pm
It looks like she's wearing pantaloons or "goucho" britches Nugget! 
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 11, 2017, 04:26:05 pm
 :yes: true that.....  :laugh:
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Perry on February 11, 2017, 05:34:18 pm
Amazing critters when you think about it, all they want to do is work (sorta opposite of me). ;D
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: riverbee on February 11, 2017, 06:24:45 pm
nice pic nugget shooter!

and you too mikey! 

thanks for the pix!
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Mikey N.C. on February 11, 2017, 06:53:44 pm
Looks like coveritup bees needed to poo , is that just a sign of not being able to get out. Nug not trying to hijack.those bees are bringing in grey pollen legs full
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 11, 2017, 07:21:30 pm
Pollen wise we are seeing yellow, bright yellow, and purple currently.... No winter here where bees do not fly other than a few days a year and this year so far only 4 days below 35 degrees F. I have never seen grey pollen here....
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 12, 2017, 04:59:13 pm
Today's activity at 2:30pm hives 1 and 4, 69 degrees after rain all morning....

https://youtu.be/MEmXcHdPakI
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: MarkCase on February 13, 2017, 08:54:00 pm
My girls have been bringing in pollen for two weeks.  Now we noticed they are bringing in nectar from somewhere.  Took the winter sugar blocks off and added supers to all five hives on Saturday (yea, when I got nailed in the forehead!).  Took a quick peek today on my very active hive and they started drawing out comb on the foundation.  I guess the flow is starting here in NC.

Nugget, just curious, how different does the desert honey taste?  Never had any from desert flowers.
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: Nugget Shooter on February 14, 2017, 09:12:14 am
It is very good and sometimes will have a slight Smokey back flavor to it... I will let you know when or if we harvest this season, but looks to be a boomer with the unusual constant winter rains. This is our second season and we are still buying our honey locally until harvest and will be interesting to finally have our own on the shelves as opposed to from up the road.
Title: Re: 2nd year beek and well...
Post by: efmesch on February 14, 2017, 02:40:53 pm
Nugget Shooter,

I've been enjoying watching the girls crammed up at the entrance too.

In stead of removing my entrance reducers, I'm going to replace them with entrance reducers that offer a wider opening.  I'm not sure my girls are quite ready to protect the whole width of the entrance.  I've got several sticks of wood of varying lengths that I put in and take out, depending on what's going on with them.

I don't know if that's proper procedure, just the way I've done it these past 9 1/2 MONTHS (not years) of experience.
-WM

W.M.--  When the going gets that good, the bees aren't interested in robbing.  Believe it or not, they really prefer to collect from the flowers.  You can feel safe in opening up the entrance nice and wide.  It is also necessary for them to have open space to efficiently evaporate the water in the nectar.

R.B. That video is absolutely priceless.