Look how the weather greeted the girls this morning, May 12th, 2010! (http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/9246/photogfr.th.jpg) (http://img193.imageshack.us/i/photogfr.jpg/)
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wow, what elevation is that? I'll be running all my gas powered equipment and try to warm it up a little up there.
Only 6,200' MSL.
I hived a package Wednesday evening and everything was good and dandy. Temp around 80. Woke up in the morning to temps in the low 50s and thunderstorms and no bees in sight. Never saw more than 3 at a time out all day. Same thing this morning: lots of rain, cool temps and no bees out, though it should get up to mid-60s but with rain all day, and most of the rest of the week has high chance of rain every day (except no rain next Monday).
This has got to be stressing my new hive. They have a gallon of sugar water in a top feeder and a pollen patty but my guess is they are all huddled up in my 8 frame medium just trying to stay warm, not drawing any comb.
Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do for them. I plan to check on Monday when temps should be around 75 and not rain to see if the queen is out. :?
Quote from: ldaxon on May 14, 2010, 11:57:40 AM
This has got to be stressing my new hive. They have a gallon of sugar water in a top feeder and a pollen patty but my guess is they are all huddled up in my 8 frame medium just trying to stay warm, not drawing any comb.
Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do for them. I plan to check on Monday when temps should be around 75 and not rain to see if the queen is out. :?
Based upon my limited experience on only one full season (just starting into my second), I don't think you need to be worried. I've had temps go down into the low thirties with rain off and on for a few weeks, both last year and this, with four separate packages. The two from last year did fine, at least one of them is doing just fine this year and the other one has gotten off to a slow start but should be fine as well.
they should be ok. hives swarm all the time in the spring and make it just fine. the bad weather may seem eternal to you, but it's usually only a few days and things will warm again.