No stored honey

[topdog17]

I have three double deep hives that are loaded with bees, brood, and pollen but no honey. They are foraging everyday but they have not stored one ounce of honey. They have to be brining in nectar to rear all the brood but I guess they use it up as fast as they get it. Should I feed these hives syrup or let them keep doing what they are doing. They are healthy and the queen is laying frames full of eggs so other than the lack of honey all seems well. Strange thing is weve had good rains and lots of wildflower and yaupon holly for build up and last year was a drought and had more honey than this year. The only saving grace I have is the Chinese tallow tree, if it doesn't come through then it's gonna be a long summer.

[Michael Bush]

They are burning it up raising brood.

[topdog17]

They are burning it up raising brood.

Ok, so do I need to intervene and feed them or let them keep doing what they do?

[Michael Bush]

The bees are doing the buildup for the flow. It's possible that their timing is off this year, but I don't see what you're going to do that would help.

[topdog17]

The bees are doing the buildup for the flow. It's possible that their timing is off this year, but I don't see what you're going to do that would help.

Ok thanks, just making sure. I dont want this season to go to waste.

[wcubed]

You don't mention supers, but I'm assuming that they are in place and that's where you are expecting to see nectar coming in. Whether it's drawn comb or foundation, I would feed and write off that first super as un-marketable honey. With a dropout in field nectar, they could be in deep trouble in a hurry. They have plenty bees to move the feed, if necessary.
Walt

[topdog17]

Well, now I have two different opinions from two respectable beekeepers. I guess I have to decide which one is best for my bees. I'll figure something out in the morning.

Thanks so much for the input!

[oldreliable]

LET THE BEES DO WHAT THEY DO...You do not decide if a season goes to waste..the bees decide. Bees bank nectar when they have more then can be used..they will store it for a later time when no flow is on.. Your bees are fine and they are using the nectar to feed themselves and to ferment the pollen into bee bread, the bread is used to then feed the larvae.

[Dana]

I've been reading about the "honey reserve" written about by Walt and am wondering why these hives would keep rearing brood without one.

[Paul McCarty]

After the apple and cherry flows in my area, I expected my hives to be packed, like they were when the Willow trees bloomed. Last I checked... no dice. Supers were empty, but there was a ton of brood raising going on. I think their timing was off because of the early Spring. Now the main flow is over and I have got them back on feed. How it goes some years.

Thinking seriously of re-queening with Carnies for next year to take advantage of their rapid build-up.

[topdog17]

I've got one more shot with the chinese tallow tree, if it doesn't come thru my bees will be on the bottle. I'm starting to see some bees checking them out so it's getting close.

[throrope]

You mention two deeps and no honey. I suspect you have supers above the deep. If you're using queen excluders, that was exactly my experience one year. An old codger told me to place the super without the excluder until the girls start working it. After that, they walk past the excluder as if it doesn't exist. One year I got lazy and put the excluder on with the empty super. The deeps below were packed to the gills, but just like the codger said, they saw it as a barrier, didn't go there no matter how little room they had below and it was empty.