nectar flow?

[brendan]

I am a new beekeeper. In second year. Started with 3 hives last year and lost 2. Interestingly the one that survived was a package put on new foundation and is doing well this spring as far as I can tell. The two fatalities were on splits bought from another beekeeper with old ratty comb and boxes. I think I ended up with the grandma queen from these splits but no way to know. From what I have learned I think they starved although I fed them heavily I think I started too late feeding.
I have a fresh start with three new packages placed on the old comb and some new foundation. My question is re nectar flows, I keep reading about beekeeping activities in relation to flows. How do you know when one is on the way or when it is happening. When will I know to super my hive?
thanks

[Two Bees]

Where are you located?

[brendan]

I am located in Kansas City

[Two Bees]

I'm assuming that you have your packages in a deep?

New packages should be fed 1:1 syrup to help them draw out your foundation.  I know that you mentioned that you have a mixture of old comb and foundation.  Bees will not draw it out foundation without a flow.  A package may use a gallong of syrup every 2-3 days without a nectar flow.

One way to determine if there is a flow would be to inspect your existing hive from last year and see if they have been gathering nectar and curing it into honey (assuming that you are not feeding this old hive syrup).

[brendan]

Thanks for the help. I did stop feeding my established hive because I was concerned that it may encourage swarming. We have had alot of rain here lately. I was wondering though if there is a way to predict a flow sort of along the same lines as the morel mushrooms come up when the mayapples start to come up. Any such folk wisdom? Does the bloom of a particular flower or shrub mark the beginning of a honey flow?

[Two Bees]

Here in NC, we have been having smaller flows from a variety of trees (redbuds, red maples, etc.), shrubs, and grasses/weeds (i.e. dandylion).  But we are just beginning a major flow with our Tulip Popular trees!  Like, right now!