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Swarms on an overloaded Semi?

3K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Honey-4-All 
#1 ·
The almond bloom for 2013 has got to rank within the top 3 in my thirty years of pollination from the pollen and nectar perspective. Early on they bees were packing in the pollen and the last leg provided a nectar flow like no other. A week ago we tore apart the breeders to give them room to lay. Yesterday was our third time since that date just pulling frames of honey out of the boxes to relieve the continuing "plague" of congestion. 15 frames of bees or more bees have put on 3- 5 deep frames of nectar in the last week alone. One new frame that I threw on the outside edge on the 1st of March was pulled yesterday. I was able to scrap off a couple of pounds off even a "virgin" frame. The old combs in the bottom centers where the queens should have been laying have being repeatedly repacked quite rapidly. Sometimes overnight.

Defacto the bloom is now over and people are going to be moving on to the next step within a few days to a week at the outset. Its my estimation that anyone who showed up with crowed boxes is going to have to leave part of the load behind as they are going to be many loads that are way overweight. When the nets come off back home many beeks are going to find little brood to split with and swarms ready to hit the trees before the boxes get off the truck if they were heavy going in.

If you brought 4 framers that weighed 100 lbs per pallet your free load of syrup arrived in 2013 and the bees ought to have grown superbly :thumbsup: The big ones.......... they might have done to well.

With the continuing drought here in California sure was nice to see the bees actually doing something "natural" other than sucking on the end of the patty and syrup hose. The party is about over sad to say.

Price of Nuts has dropped 20-30 cents the last week. Good sign that the bees did their job in 13. :D
 
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#4 ·
Being an almond farmer and a comm beek, what would you say was the contributing factor to an actual nectar flow off the almonds this year?? I dropped in 1 gallon frame feeders last weekend, I guess I might not have needed them, but I wanted to be safe than sorry. I guess the first sign of a nectar flow was the drone comb they were building on a foundationless frame in the top deep upon last inspection!! At least they weren't those jam packed hives and had room to grow!!
 
#5 ·
This is not a scientific based answer but it seems that a lot of the winter flowers which grow and bloom in California, including almonds, have nectaries that are activated when the temperature surpasses 61-63 degrees. The temps during the almond bloom far surpassed that this year for many hours. Lots of flowers and warm temps equal a nice honey flow.
 
#7 ·
Our first ones can get pulled around Wednesday. Like every year its none to quick as the first cells go into the mating nucs on Tuesday. These will get moved into the yards on Friday-Saturday hopefully encountering some good mating weather and a bunch of rambunctious Drones to boot.
 
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