What a flow!

[newbee101]

This is my Northern yard.
I used an Imrie shim and an innercover at the top of this hive.
What a mess of honey up there. I scraped over 2 lbs of burr.
I pulled 100 lbs from 3 hives, with lots more to go, (uncapped).
One of 3 hives swarmed here, but we caught and hived it. I expect more swarms.

[Moonshae]

Beautiful!

[LET-CA]

Great photos!  I wish I had a similar problem with excessive nectar flow.  It's been very slow here in Sacramento.  Lots of hot dry weather.  I've got tons of bees flying, but they're pretty much just holding their own right now.  Each of my four hives is in a double deep brood chamber (filled out) and I've put a medium super on each.  Only one of the four is showing serious signs of filling it out, and at the current rate will take through September to do it. - sigh.  But, when I walk out into my small back yard, I can hear a virtual roar with all the bees coming and going.  It's fun to watch them highlighted against the sky - lots and lots of activity.  Anyway, congratulations to you for what looks to be a very successful year, and thanks again for sharing the pictures.

All the best - Lenny

[newbee101]

But, when I walk out into my small back yard, I can hear a virtual roar with all the bees coming and going.

I know the feeling! I have a small yard (1/2 acre total) I watch my bees everyday after work.

[Kirk-o]

Hey it dosen't get much better than that WOW thats great
kirk

[Moonshae]

I know the feeling! I have a small yard (1/2 acre total) I watch my bees everyday after work.

Lol! My whole property is 0.19 acres, right in the suburbs. I am quite jealous of those of you able to support 5, 10 hives in your backyards! I hope to get two more next year, and after that, I'll need to be looking for places to keep my hives, because the NJ Dept of Ag recommends no more than 3 hives on plots less than .25 acres (one of my 4 will be an Ob hive, so i don't think that counts, being so much smaller :P)

[doak]

The size of property you have doesn't determan how many hives you can have.
It is what is out there, up to 3 or 4 miles in all directions that counts. (nector)
I only have 5 acres and I could have up to 25 hives, as long as someone else doesn't come in within a couple of miles and set up a yard with that many. Then it would be getting crowded.
I would get the same amount of honey from each colony as I am getting from 7, If I had 15 or 20
Your zoneing laws can also play a role. Some suburbs only allow so many per household/property holder.
On another note, if a bad year comes alone, Its better to have fewer than more colonies.
So for in the 7 years I've been at it I haven't seen what would be conciderd a bad year here.
Do a study and try to come up with how many you can properly work, and not have to have some to go on their own because you don't have time' "in the peak" of the beekeeping year to look after them.
Thats what I have to do. And I'm happy with that.
Good luck and God bless.
doak

[Beemistress]

Mmmm!  I want a bite!

Such beautiful comb.  I just put a shallow super on the strongest of my 3 hives and am hoping they will put some honey in it for me. 

I'm just up the hill from Sacramento and its been hot here too.  The bees are roaring around doing something but not as much as it seems like they could.

[annette]

Hey Beemistress from Shingle Springs,

I am up the road about 30 minutes from you in Placerville. I have 2 hives now and 1 is working its little butt off and finally putting in some honey. I just extracted 25 lbs today. I pray they continue.

You probably have the same conditions as I do.

Annette from, you said it, hot Placerville

[DayValleyDahlias]

Thngs are slow here too, but not because of hot and dry, because of cool and foggy...not really Summer weather in these parts... :-\