Week 6 and a question for central virginians

[Altbier]

http://www.hatchell.us/4920bees/

here is a link to this weekends photos.
my 6 year old wanted to help, which I thought was really cool of her.

My question for the keepers around Richmond, we added a second brood box to the hives but it is not filling as fast as the first. Is the season over or am I wrong? Queen is still laying, hives are healthy, just appears to be a slowing in progress

cheers!

[HRM]

I do not know the geography where you are, but I beleive it is normal for there to be fast and slow times of the year as the flowering cycle of different plants progress.
I would guess that there is a lull in the supply of pollen and in a while some other plant will bloom and things will take off again.

[Jim Fischer]

One glance at your lawn should explain all.
We are behind on rain in VA, and your lawn
is likely very dry. When things are dry,
nectar is much less available.

Not to worry, even a minor shower will
get the clover and other nectar plants
producing nectar again, but yes, VA has
a very "font-loaded" season. Many VA
beekeepers view the season as "over" by July 1.

The trick is to start feeding the bees
syrup and pollen in February, so that the
colony builds up and is able to exploit this
"front-loaded" season in April, May, and June.