signs of spring in southeast louisiana!!

[bailey]

just wanted to give a little  report from down louisiana way.

first good sign of the day, was talking with jp earlier today and he pointed out he saw drone brood in a recent cutout.  when that starts here the spring buildup is begining!!

next good sign of the day, i walked over to a red maple tree and saw that the bloom has started with alot of blooms coming on quick!!  when this happens down here the spring buildup is begining!!

all i need to see now is the willows start to show green on the tips of their tops and ill be making nucs up from swarm cells for my expansion and some very early nucs!  :piano:
that is if i dont get any really bad cold weather in the next 2 to 3 weeks  :thunder:

any other southern folks seeing red maple yet?

bailey

[Kathyp]

filberts are about to pop pollen here.  seems a little early to me, but i won't complain.  usually they do it mid February and i think they have another week to go before they really pop.

[hardwood]

Red maples have been in full swing here for about 2 weeks. The bees are really bringing in pollen too! I'm not talkin' just a little bit, I'm talkin' frame after frame worth...no pollen sub needed this year!

I've been going through the hives and there is some drone brood but not a lot. I'm sure that will change in the next week or so.
I opted to start grafting earlier than normal this year due to this (I'm thinking to do the first round Feb 10). as long as the drone stock is plentiful.

Scott

[schawee]

bailey, the red maples started blooming 10 days ago and today they were bring in some pollen.i checked the willows and some are starting to bloom ,just a few though.if we don't get that real cold weather next month we will be in good shape.   ...schawee

[bailey]

schawee
thanks, i didnt get a good look at the willow yet so i didnt know. any of your larger 2 year old hives have drone brood?

hardwood.
mid feb was when i was going to target here, or when ever jp calls and brags that he has caught his first swarm, whichever comes first.
but like you it will depend on the drones i see.

bailey

[leechmann]

Oh, you people are killing me. We have two feet on snow on the ground and it snows every day. This last weekend it was 30 degrees below zero all weekend.

I have to say, its nice to hear you get excited about spring though. Good luck to you.

Leechmann

[Keith13]

Nooooo i need cold weather I have a goose hunt on the 11th i need cold weather to keep em down here

Keith

[bailey]

ill buy you a goose!  :yippiechick: :yippiechick: :yippiechick:
i need mild weather!
good luck on your hunt keith!

bailey

[splitrock]

WOW!!! Sounds Great!!!

  We won't be using the term spring in the present tense for a few months yet up here.

I can hardly wait now, after listening to you all. Thanks for the lift.

Joel

[AllenF]

I still have half of a snowman in the front yard.  (pick up the hat and scarf today off the ground)

[schawee]

bailey,i will check my old hives tomorrow if its not raining.   ...schawee

[hankdog1]

ya'll need to send some of that warm weather up here to VA we have been in the deep freeze for about 2 months with just a few 40 degree days to break it up

[wd]

Nooooo i need cold weather I have a goose hunt on the 11th i need cold weather to keep em down here

Keith

geese have been slowly migrating north bound here, they fly mainly at night. listen for the honk if you haven't already. occasionally I see and hear them during day light hours. this time last year the California wild rose was in bloom. only see but a few this year

[Jim134]

Oh, you people are killing me. We have two feet on snow on the ground and it snows every day. This last weekend it was 30 degrees below zero all weekend.

I have to say, its nice to hear you get excited about spring though. Good luck to you.

Leechmann

It is about the same in Massachusetts but the temp. -20f


   BEE HAPPY JIM :)

[JP]

Things keep going the way they are, we may just start shaking swarms come mid February, is what I'm thinking. Every thing I've been looking at lately is booming and pollen is coming in like gang busters!

Not trying to rub it in I swear!  ;)


...JP

[Dane Bramage]

filberts are about to pop pollen here. 

They're popping over here on the West side.   With the warm weather I decided to put out some mid-Winter snacks.
:-D

Of course Spring is definitely a ways off up here, despite sunny & upper 50's being forecast for the next several days.

[hankdog1]

filberts are about to pop pollen here. 

They're popping over here on the West side.   With the warm weather I decided to put out some mid-Winter snacks.
:-D

Of course Spring is definitely a ways off up here, despite sunny & upper 50's being forecast for the next several days.

Show off  :-D  guess i'll have to settle for the knowing so far so good with the divits in the snow on top of the hives

[VolunteerK9]

I just worry with the late freeze that kills off my peach blooms after an early spring. My bees were flying good yesterday, I think just stretching their wings a bit cuz I didnt see any pollen going in yet. Somethings a blooming though-my contacts are wanting to float out of my eyes.

[AllenF]

Ya the bees were flying all  over the place here and not bringing in anything also.   But they were all flying.

[schawee]

bailey,4 of the 9, 2year old hives has drone cells.   ...schawee