My bees are booming

bwallace23350 · October 10, 2016, 09:39:09 AM

I know this is my first year so everything is new and exciting but I checked my bees on Friday and I have never seen so many bees and so much activity. It was great. So my question is what flow is stronger the fall or the spring flow or is this just because my bees are more numerous now?

pjigar · October 10, 2016, 01:10:00 PM

I believe spring flow is more (I am 1st year geek as well).

GSF · October 10, 2016, 09:58:02 PM

I'd say the spring, mainly because it's last longer with a lot of trees blooming. You're bees have built up their population that's why you see so many coming and going. congrads!

bwallace23350 · October 11, 2016, 08:58:26 AM

I am probably not going to harvest any honey this year, not even to just try. What I learned in my first year of beekeeping is that no amount of reading could have me ready for this and that everyone has an opinion so someone will always be telling you that you are doing it wrong.

bwallace23350 · October 11, 2016, 09:29:56 AM

How long will the fall flow last?

divemaster1963 · October 11, 2016, 10:56:14 PM

Quote from: bwallace23350 on October 11, 2016, 09:29:56 AM
How long will the fall flow last?

watch the godenrod. when it turns brown its mostly done. there maybe some blackeye suzie still booming but it is basicly over. ours here in middle ga. is at full and falling. got about another week or to. if indian simmer kicks end we may have another two or three week spurt of goldenrod but nothing to plan on.

john

Acebird · October 12, 2016, 09:09:04 AM

Quote from: bwallace23350 on October 11, 2016, 08:58:26 AM
everyone has an opinion so someone will always be telling you that you are doing it wrong.

Well if you follow at least one of the opinions you have one person telling you you did it right. :-)

Rurification · October 12, 2016, 01:59:21 PM

Quote from: bwallace23350 on October 11, 2016, 08:58:26 AM
I am probably not going to harvest any honey this year, not even to just try. What I learned in my first year of beekeeping is that no amount of reading could have me ready for this and that everyone has an opinion so someone will always be telling you that you are doing it wrong.

So. So. True.

Very frustrating for those of us who thought there would be a Right Way to do bees. There's not. Go with your gut. Any 'mistakes' you make will hone your instincts.

divemaster1963 · October 12, 2016, 07:21:49 PM

there is so many varibles in beekeeping there is no wrong or right way. two beeks 5 miles apart one could have a bounty of flow and massive growth and the other could lose it all. will both doing the exact same program. its best to try to learn your area and what is and isnot needed. I learned along time ago the best saying . plan for the worst and hope for the best. plan this way for each coming year and it may work out.

best of luck

john

bwallace23350 · October 12, 2016, 10:38:31 PM

Thanks. I am hoping tomorrow or Friday to go back in the hives to check out the honey supers. The golden rod is still strong. I wish I could smell it but I am just to stopped up for that.

divemaster1963 · October 12, 2016, 11:05:10 PM

get a friend to smell for it. you only have to be down wind. I can smell mine from fourty feet away .

john

bwallace23350 · October 13, 2016, 04:55:45 PM

Well I said my bees are booming and I might or might not be right. On one hive they have started moving up into the honey supers. I saw bees up there but it is not a lot of bees up there at the moment. On the other hive they had 4 free frames and now they have 3 free frames but they are thick and heavy on my frames in my second deep. We are in the middle of the fall flow and my inspection times were 2 weeks apart. 2 weeks ago I put on the honey super.

Acebird · October 13, 2016, 08:05:12 PM

If you put an empty super on you want bees in it. They have to do preparation. What you don't want is the queen going up in it when there is no nectar coming in so you have to know if there is nectar available. If there is no nectar then get them the heck out of there and take it off.

bwallace23350 · October 14, 2016, 07:58:38 AM

I put the super on when the golden rod started to bloom. It bloomed hard but I have noticed that some of it is starting to wilt.

divemaster1963 · October 14, 2016, 09:20:22 PM

our fall flow ended two days ago. now they ar preping for winter i hope. i can not get the hives open to check. so hoping for the best next spring.

john