Wisconsin weather is frustrating

[mixofsam]

I don't know about anyone else here in Wisconsin, but the cold, windy and lack of 2 days in a row of sunshine is beggining to frustrate me! Not sure how the bees feel about it. We are suppose to see some 70 degree temps (finally), but looks like a lot of clouds for the next week.
Chris

[Stacykins]

It has been a tough spring for the northern states. Cold, rain, and late snows/frosts. I definitely understand, though I don't have my bees yet (next week!). Most crops haven't even been started, and in the UP buds on the trees are only just appearing. Hopefully summer gets here quickly!

[Bee Bliss]

We are going to go from cool, wet, cloudy and windy to full blown scorching hot and humid...........and windy! And we'll be complaining about that, too! What a long winter we had. Nasty!

[rharlow]

Six days in a row of cool, cloudy, drizzly, rainy, crappy........................weather. Supposed to start clearing this weekend, and apples and lilacs are bloomin, yahoo

[Barry]

full blown scorching hot and humid...........and windy!

I'm hoping for a little of that the next three days while in Door County. It's suppose to be in the 60's at least! Checked my bees today while the sun was shining. Haven't been able to do that much this spring.

[sevenmmm]

This is the fourth day in a row my bees have worked. The last two days have the weatherman threatening rain, but, now again, the sun is shining and the temperature is climbing higher..

[Oldbee]

It is a bit frustrating. I am not able to see my hives every day, but know they are not as busy around the entrances when it's cooler than normal. My April 30th package is coming along fine; hope to put the second box on this weekend. Most colonies are behind schedule building up this spring by about 9-13 days.

Fortunately the bees can navigate on cloudy days. I worry about them getting caught out in a sudden rain storm though.

"The light from the blue sky is polarized and the direction of polarization at each point depends on the position of the sun, as described elsewhere in this site (Polarization.com has developed an educational Skylight Compass Card.). When the bee cannot directly see the sun, it will infer its position from the polarization pattern of the blue sky. Bees can use this "sense" when flying to a goal or when communicating directions to other bees. For example, they can maintain course under the shadow of a mountain, at twilight, or when only small patches of sky are not clouded."
http://www.polarization.com/bees/bees2.html >> Check the previous page on the bottom to.

[Trevor Mansell]

I dont know the bees are doing good where I am in Wi. Most have made a box of honey and building pretty good. Im only worried that everything is going to bloom at once and we will have a long derth in June.

[WV Bee Guy]

Same here, rain, rain and more rain. This week we've had nights down into the 40's. I started four packages this year and am frustrated that they aren't coming along as good as they would if the weather was nicer. Oh well, nothing we can do about it but complain!

[Bee Bliss]

Barry, We used to check out the weather in Door County by taking Hwy 57 and then a little detour to Duvall (NW Kewaunee County). There's a place (Rohr's) there that we used to take the burger bus to to get some of their great burgers and torte!

[Barry]

We're taking the scenic route up 42. When we want to get home fast, we take 57. I'll have to remember that burger joint.

[LBF]

Our weather has been better since this past Saturday where I'm at. Some of the nights have been in the 30's but we've been getting into the 70's a few of the last days. It has been a wicked spring here. Dandelions, wild plums, and what I think is yellow clover is blooming here but it seems the bees are working only the dandelions. The rain starts again tomorrow, so we'll be back to normal, at least what is normal for this spring.

My bees have yet to take any decent amounts of syrup. I have a bad feeling on two of my three hives, they just aren't thriving so far.

I think what a previous poster said could happen. Everything is going to bloom at once this year if this keeps up and June is going to be a bad month.

[Cicada54701]

Yeah, it's been rough sitting on two new hives with this. I can really only get to my hives on the weekends because they're a half hour away from me and of course, even when we do get decent weather overall, it still rains every weekend. My first hive was started over a month ago and I still haven't been able to get in there and get a thourough inspection done....just a quick look-see here and there...

[DutchBee]

It is nuts that is for sure. Good thing I have the hives on good stands or they would be under water. Still heating the house at night. But I bet it is colder in Escanaba for sure. If we ever get warm and sun they will have tons of nectar available. I am putting in a Hop crop this year and have not been able to get the prep work done because of the weather.

[greif]

I am just hope I get my bee...... told the might come sunday... I hope\

gary

[Bucksnort]

What? Someone in Wisconsin complaining about the weather? How 'bout dem doze Packers? Gosh I love em!

Today is going to be an awesome, sunny, warm day with little wind. I'll do my hive checks this morning because the world is going to end Saturday night according to the articles I read in today's MJS.

[smith]

I dunno. Could be warmer. But there's a huge dandelion crop right now; blackberries are ready to go next week; plenty of tree pollen; fruit trees are flowering big time. Enuf moisture to push the alfalfa/clover along. I've split and supered and am ready for the party to start.

[Bee Bliss]

Well, much of Wisconsin woke up to the strong smell of campfire smoke in the air yesterday. A massive wild fire started by lightening has been burning for a month near Ely, Minnesota (300+ miles away) and is blowing in from the northwest. Sorry to hear of the loss of forest. Hope they get it out soon. In some areas (Rhinelander) visability was down to 1-1/2 miles.

[sevenmmm]

Amazing how the smoke has carried so far...