[devil dog]

I just started May 11th with a nuc. I quickly had to add a second deep a couple weeks later. Then I again started runing out of room and added a medium super 9 days ago (Saturday June 21st). Now it seems as though my bees have just stopped. My upper deep that was previously being used as a brood box is now totally lacking in brood eggs etc. and full of honey. I worked my hive last night and I honestly think the upper deep weighs in at 60lbs or better. Meanwhile they haven't started drawing out the super yet. I thought they would be running short of room again soon from the way they were going. Is this slow down normal this time of year?

 

[Tenbears]

I would imagine that you are at the beginning of a mid summer dearth. especially if it has been real dry. Everything slows! And rest assured by the time it is done that upper deep will be empty.

 

[stan.vick]

I am in the beginnings of a dearth that should last two and a half months, they get a lot of grass pollen and some other pollen but almost no nectar. They have slowed down their reproduction and have moved to the lower boxes leaving a box or two of honey in the top. I bought five hundred pounds of sugar at Sams club for 18.27 for a fifty pound bag. I have started feeding 1 part sugar to 2 parts water to simulate a nectar flow, the sugar will last for two months. I am now harvesting the honey since it is more valuable than sugar, and regardless of others opinion, mine do fine on sugar as long as I keep the PH lowered with vinegar and tannic acid.
They should go back into reproduction mode and I can do some late summer splits. You might try to do the same. Harvest the honey. JMO

 

[devil dog]

Thanks for the replies. It was just such a dramatic and quick change I thought something might be wrong. I'm not too sure how I feel about harvesting the honey if they are going to need it or it means I have to feed them.