Last week I added 6 supers to my 4 hives and this Monday they were all full. I threw on 6 more and they are filling fast. 2 of these hives were splits I made this spring. Considering the cool summer we are having in eastern WI, it looks like a good year. How's everyone else doing in the midwest?
Hey jdesq--That's great!! So happy for you :D
This is my first year, and I have 3 topbars, so it's a little harder to compare. My 2 first-established topbars are about 3/4 full, all 4 feet of them, so that seems pretty good to me for first-year packages. In fact, one swarmed and the queenless colony really packed in the honey!!
So glad for the last day of rain--it will really help! BTW, love that cheese from Cedar Grove :)
Glad something is happening a bit further north. See my recent post with different WI experience.
I had heard from the Dadant branch that more northern WI was doing well this year, while southwest (and for me in SE) things were bleak.
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,23831.0.html
It could just be my hives though - 2 recovering from being queenless and 2 I am not sure why they aren't productive. And although they seem to be in a great location, maybe the bees think differently.
Good luck and hope that flow moves south a bit
In the last two days sunflowers have opened up (20 acres within 1 mile from the bee yard) so both of my hives are working hard. I am going to wait a couple of more days to open them up but I hope they are doing well. Both are building comb but it would be great if they could each get one more medium built and filled before golden rod.
If things go real well, I might even get a very small bit of honey for myself this year.
I'm in south central wisconsin near westfield and while it's been nice and steady, no big flow so far. The weather has been a big issue!
Hello fellow Cheese Heads! :-D I am in west central WI & things here have been great. Would be even better if it wasn't 50 at night!! Have a new hive of carniolans & they are going to have 2-3 med supers for me. New hive of Italians 1-2 med supers for me. New hive of Russians, got started late, and will have 3 mediums backfilled full going into winter. Nothing for me from that one. But I can't complain. The Carnies have been great. However, we have 8 acres of alfalfa, 2 of clover, 2 of buckwheat, 1 of sunflowers here. So, I am fortunate to have alot right around me too.
I'm in Norther IL, and things are BOOOOMMMMIIINNNNGGGG! It is definitely on. I would say it started in earnest about a week ago. Let's hope it continues for some time.