Is it just me, or is everyone else having to feed their bees this year?

[BeeGhost]

Well, I guess that is why its called farming!! Its not a good thing for the bee keeper when the hay guy / cattle rancher is happier than heck that the star thistle didnt show up this year!! I am pouring the surgar syrup and pollen patties to the hives in the country because there is absolutely NOTHING going on out there, atleast nothing that would even sustain one hive, let alone 8 hives. Seems the only place that the star thistle is taking off right now is in the foothills of the Sierras.

I even took a drive through the back roads here in the farming country surrounding Tracy and was looking for potential areas to put a small bee yard, atleast something is blooming at one time or another. Now all I have to do is get the nads up to knock on a door and ask the question, " you wouldnt happen to have a little bit of space for me to put some hives would you?" LOL

Anyone else in CA having a "less than banner" year??

[johnth78]

Feeding like it was 1999 here too

[RayMarler]

No, it's not just you.

[BeeGhost]

No, it's not just you.

Got room in your yard for some bees!!LOL

Ray, I know you have some years on your belt keeping bees, when is the last time you have seen a year like this in CA?

[buzz abbott]

AH, the joys of urban beekeeping. The neighbors water everything so God doesn't have to.

[odfrank]

AH, the joys of urban beekeeping. The neighbors water everything so God doesn't have to.

Amen, been extracting all week and the hives are bulging. Winter collapse is just around the corner.

[RayMarler]

OH I dunno, some years are better than others, and location means alot. I've been at this location three seasons now and this is a little dryer than the first year here. Seems like it was dry for me in 2007 and 2008, we had somewhat drought conditions for a couple or three years in there.

This year, we had no rain last fall and winter to say much, and the spring was too cold for flight when they needed it. Now it's dry and hot in the valley, and only beekeepers like starthistle. There is a campaign to wipe it out completely, but it is the main flow in summer for us. The county has wiped it out pretty good along the roadside edges, but it's still around here and there. I've gotten a little flow but not enough for me to get anything, and I'm feeding two hives as they support my nucs so I don't have to feed all of them.

[adam@azapiaries]

I feel your pain about the star thistle. Here in the North East, they have been trying to erradicate the Purple Loosestrife. That used to be good for three boxes of honey in a good year. Now 90% of the plants are gone. They dont hear the beekeepers when they discuss killing off invasive species.

[David LaFerney]

No feeding here. 3 weeks of dearth in june, but other than that we've had enough rain and forage for them to get by.

[Ignots]

Goldenrod is blooming already...going to be a long autumn...

[Birdman]

Been feeding part of mine sence 1st of july

[Riverratbees]

My bees haven't produced like in yrs past. Like Ignots said gonna be a long autumn.

[kangaroo]

The few hives I have I never feed. If they can not survive on there own they have week genetics that you should not want. I do give them a quart are 2 of sugar water to start, but after that they should be able to survive on there own. Survival of the fittest!

[mmmooretx]

I may step up to the "Survival of the fittest!" mode later, but I only have one hive I started on 2 June. When I installed my NUC from B Weaver I never saw the queen. Two weeks later Laura Weaver sent me a free replacement, she is very helpful. I saw the new queen 3 days later when I checked to see if she was out. I never saw her again. Towards the end of June I basically bought another NUC since most of my original brood had hatched and I had no queen. I ended up adding a second deep and separating the two hives with a sheet of newspaper and they joined well. Most of July was build up and the hive is now doing well. I am working an SHB issue but have seen no mites yet. Yes I may be nursing them but I have spent nearly $300 in bees alone for one hive and I will do what is needed to have them ready for winter. In the future when my base set of hives are doing well and I have some NUCs for backup I will probably do the "Survival of the fittest!" philosophy, which is probably good for the species, but for now I will spoil my girls and do what is needed to get my first hive through the winter.
Bee happy...