I started beekeeping in 2009 when we had record rain - worst beekeeping season in the country in 100 years, from what I heard.
The forecast in the northeast is rain every day for the next two weeks! I can only hope this is not a repeat of that year. I am only able to get to my colonies on the weekends and that means that I have no choice but to work them in the rain. I'm really concerned. I just walk away split one, installed a new swarm, installed a package, absolutely must requeen 2 weak ones, and I have one package and two nucs arriving in the next week or so (All delayed because of the bad weather). If the sun comes out when I'm here, I'll be lucky. But if it rains, I have to work these girls. I have no choice.
What are your experiences with working bees in the rain? I'd be very grateful for any suggestions and recommendations you can give. Thanks.
Yeah, I hear ya on the rain issue. I've been thinking about getting some sort of canopy that can be popped up, moved over a hive, do the inspection, and then move on.
We had rain 21 out of 30 days in April. Not sure if May will be any better.
This past Friday, after several days of nice weather (finally), I had to graft based on a schedule. I got up, and it was gray, overcast, drizzle, and in the mid 50's. Of course it was.....I was planning on grafting. :roll:
I can deal with an afternoon spring thunderstorm or brief showers. You can plan around that. But we have had way too many days of complete washouts, with cool temps. Two weeks ago, I had three frame breeding nucs starving to death. Seemed for every one day they could fly, the next three were spent eating their already limited stores.
Working hives in rainy weather means all the field bees are at home. They are older bees, and are more defensive than the normal stay behind bees of the hive. Making working them much harder and slower. Putting in packages in the rain is no big deal. They are not usually any more ticked off than they already are. I would hold off for better weather for full size hives.
This year is screwed up. I have beekeepers calling asking where their nucs are (I am way behind in production), while I am still waiting for a package delivery for the local club from Georgia. Go figure! :roll: I guess those thinking they were getting nucs or packages early enough to harvest some idea of 100 pound honey crop this year, are quickly having those thoughts change.
While it seems everything keeps ticking along and the flowers are aging and dying, the bees have not been able to collect much after all the rain and limited flying time. So this may not be a good honey year without a good two or three week period real soon. The weather is calling for rain through Friday. Not good.
I had to help a friend inspect a small hive with queen issues last week. Her back yard is protected so we didn't have to worry about chilly winds, so it was simply a matter of keeping water out of the hive. We used a really big beach umbrella! Worked great!
And the 2011 Beemaster Award for creative use of French-derived words in a thread title goes to...........
:-D
Coool! I don't even speak French. :) Just took Yogi Berra's famous saying. And something I remembered from the title of a movie. :-D
Alicia,
I was thinking of that rain umbrella too. Just need somebody to hold it. :-D Good to know it worked for you.
Stopped actively raining a little while ago. Gave me a chance to check on my colonies. Found which half of that walkaway split was queenless and gave it a frame of eggs and brood from another hive just to be on the safe side. Gave some syrup too. Bees seem to be out flying even with the very overcast conditions.
Not much better down south. Almost 90 last week and today overcast and 55. April was super wet and may's been hit and miss. I worry for my girl's as they're on 10 frames of foundation and can't do much in this weather. I still have my syrup on since i hived them a week ago, but i still worry.
I made sure to save some honey from last fall. I gave my package two frames. All have Mega Bee patties and baggie feeders. Even gave my swarm a frame of honey too. I'm not taking chances with this weather.
We've had way too much rain this spring too. Everything started off great with mild temps and sunshine and then heavy rains set in for a couple of weeks. That and the cool temps it caused really set all the blooms back and it was tough on the bees,no way they could fly in those storms.
Finally today,the sun is out and it's about 75 degrees. The hives have exploded! :-D The bee's are really getting down to business today and working the flowers hard.
I went out today around noon today, to do a walk by. It was a real light misty rain and I figured they'd be hunkered down. But no they were coming and going, I could see somewith their pollen baskets loaded down. I was mildly surprised.
Dang global warming. Might be to cold for shorts again tomorrow.
it's all al gore's fault :-D LOL
we were all happy go lucky till he screwed up the weather.
So the internet does have something to do with the weather
Flood watch here. 6 straight days of rain and counting. :'(
Raining again. And heavy. 7 days and counting. :-x
It's the opposite here. Less than 1" of rain in three months. Stopped our spring flow dead in it's tracks. Even the citrus flow was a dud.
Scott
Heavy rain again this evening. Lawns look like a meadow. That low pressure area just will not move.
We're are in a drought here in Oklahoma. Way behind on rain. I am hoping we get a summer flow. The cherry tree outside my study window here was so loaded with cherries last year I couldn't pick them all. This year there won't even be enough to make one pie.
Linda D
I SAW THE SUN TODaY!!! :-D And my girls are taking advantage of it. I had a real traffic jam at the entrance this afternoon.
Steady rain this morning. 8 days and counting. ;)
Funny how weeds never stop. :roll:
It should be nice this weekend. To bad the locust blooms are just about over.
One week of locust.....one week of rain.
I would gladly swap a couple days of rain for a couple days of drought :-D
We just had 4 straight days without rain, it's raining now though, so our spring has come and gone.
We should have another stretch of rainless days that will be out summer.
Our creek usually dries up by now but it's still flowing, maybe by July.