Where I live in eastern Washington, we have had a very wet and cool spring. There have been a few days of sun shine, but very little in comparison to normal. In an effort to help the girls, I've been feeding them, but they haven't been taking much sugar water. Traffic in and our of the hives has been light. I'm not sure of what to do. I'm hoping that the weather changes and the girls can get to work.
Is there anything I can be doing to improve the situation and ensure the bee hives remain strong? They came out of winter looking good and ramped up nicely. I don't want them to dwindle with this cool damp weather.
Regards,
Tucker1
It is supposed to get nice this weekend finally!
Ya, even with decent weather coming, we'll have missed much of the good flows...big bummer year for bees in Northwest this year IMHO.
I hope your weather turn around but not at the expense of our wither in New England. We are opposite of you all the time. When you are warm and dry we are cold and wet. We just se the record for the warmest spring of all time.
All of my girls are doing very well. Filling up supers with honey and on their 3 and 4 brood cycle. Why am I telling you this? No to make you feel ever more bummed but to tell you the weahter you are having we had the last two summers. Very ugly time ahead if your weather does not get warmer.
Last year the weather was so cold and wet we were having swarms in September. Doomed bees for sure. You need to do everything possible to keep thier numbers up. It is only June but it is never too soon to thing about winter. In New England we lost about 50% of our hives last year due to starvation.
I hope warm dry conditions are in your future.
I hear you Michael, but it isn't that bad here, record cool and wet, yes, but all that rain has caused a massive clover and thistle crop in my parts. Rain on the desert. Glad you guys are having a better season this year.
I'm in a warmer, dryer region 3.5 hrs West of Tucker1.