Are we out of the spring flow now

Ron Young · Post by **Ron Young** » Fri May 29, 2009 3:01 pm

Are we officially out of the spring flow?

I don't think that I am going to have a very god harvest, unless I am mistaken on the remaining flow.

drewgrim · Post by **drewgrim** » Sat May 30, 2009 2:32 pm

mine seem to still be bringing in the honey, but i am going to get far less than last year. i guess this is just not a good honey year. what makes it a bad year or less productive year?

Post by **Wally** » Sat May 30, 2009 7:14 pm

Blackberries are still going. Privet is still full bloom. Many yards are covered in white clover Vitex hasn't started yet. The flow will extend through most of June.

Kurt Bower · Post by **Kurt Bower** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 4:25 am

I would agree that this is not a good year for local honey.
The main flow is over and the minor flow that is currently on will most likely be consumed as the bees continue to grow into the summer.

Kurt

Ron Young · Post by **Ron Young** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:24 pm

Well, I did acomplish one thing, I did not have a swarm this year. However, I only have one harvestable super of honey. The other two extracting supers are about 65% capped. I am guessing that they will not cap them before the end of June.
The one cut comb super that I gave them when I found queen cups with larva, only has a few frames that are drawn out, and a few capped cells. I moved it to the very top.

Not a very good honey flow at all. I did better than this last year with five swarms. So now the question comes, What do I do with the partially filled supers.
If I leave them for winter stores, then the colony will move on it over the winter and turn it inot brood comb, correct.

Do I put a queen excluder on and hope that thee colony does not starve because the queen cannot move up with them?

And will the cut comb super be ok on the top until next year?

I really think that they would have swarmed had I not given them all the room, but the room was too much for the flow. Is there a happy balance there somewhere?

Kurt Bower · Post by **Kurt Bower** » Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:55 am

Congrats on not having any swarms. Sorry about the lack of honey!
I am unsure what you mean about partially filled supers? Only a few frames? Will the bees not cap this and you can extract later?
As for the cut comb super...I would be a little concerned about leaving it. You always want cut comb to be clean and appealing. Would leaving it allow for bee happenings until the next year? Will this change the appearance in any way?
I have been raising bees for 10 years and still am trying to find a balance. Worst year for honey I have ever had.

Kurt

Ron Young · Post by **Ron Young** » Wed Jun 03, 2009 11:25 am

There is nectar in all but the outside frames, and they even have nectar, just not full cells of it. The center 6 frams are partially capped, so they may eventually move and cap some of those. I would guess that I will end up with 1 1/2 to 2 supers of honey, and the rest will just go to the bees.