The question is too vague and contingent. In wildlands, early Manzanita and Ceanothus can plug out a hive in days. My manzanita has been blooming since January, and the Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus) started this week.

I start actively managing my spring hives when the Arroyo Willow blooms (two weeks ago in my location). Willow has really high sugar nectar (50% solid) and the nectar is capped almost immediately. Capped nectar doesn't get moved easily, so the brood nest is affected.

******** Eucalyptus has really low sugar nectar (13%), but the volume per bloom is measured in Tablespoons. A strong hive can fill 2 supers with drippy, thin-as-water Eucalyptus nectar in two weeks or less. That thin nectar really pushes brood production, so the way to manage all that volume is to give them as much brood space as possible.

Eucalyptus nectar can ferment in the hive if the rain and cool weather sets back in. Usually however, the thin nectar vanishes -- it is consumed to feed brood on the cloudy days when the Eucalyptus is not flowing. Eucalyptus nectar starts and stops frequently.

I pull my first honey extraction in very late April. I do this to separate the Eucalyptus from the Sage flows. The February and March nectar is devoted to the hive and its brood. So I am not managing to make honey (which won't ripen in cool temps) but to make baby bees. Bees want to build brood in the spring, not make winter stores.

 

In wildlands, early Manzanita and Ceanothus can plug out a hive in days. My manzanita has been blooming since January, and the Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus) started this week.

I start actively managing my spring hives when the Arroyo Willow blooms (two weeks ago in my location). Willow has really high sugar nectar (50% solid) and the nectar is capped almost immediately.

So do you have your supers on yet?

Manzanita has been blooming here for over a week and I just noticed today that willow is blooming because the sound of bees brought my attention to it.

 

When I see flowers starting to bloom, and they quit taking any syrup I've set out for them, that's when I stick on honey supers.

 

You might want to go to the home page and look under the Point of View section. Look for articles by Walt Wright on nectar management.

He ties to understand the behavior of the hive and then tries to minimize or avoid swarms and maximize honey production.

I'm uncertain about your weather and plant blooms in Chico -- but I know the almonds should be in bloom now. On the coast, they are bringing in pollen and some nectar and to my eye, are beginning to build up and back fill brood nest. I will probably start checker boarding - which will add supers - in another few weeks if weather here remains nice. Also will be making splits in mid to late march -- waiting for more drones.

 

When I stop feeding them and they look like they are running out of room.

My manzanita has yet to bloom, but it's close. My pluot tree will be in bloom real soon.

 

When I stop feeding them and they look like they are running out of room.

x2

 

I added supers to a couple hives in my backyard in Marin yesterday that were booming and running out of room....but others next door have plenty of room left.

 

I added super to my hives. I'm about 80-100 miles north of you. Manzanita is getting ready to bloom.

 

Strong hives got supered last week, already wet when I peaked in today. Buckbrush is covered in white. 80 F in warm sun today.

 

OK, thanks. I should probably be thinking about it soon here. Things seem to be moving pretty fast all of a sudden. All kinds of stuff is starting to bloom now.
That's interesting that the willow has such a high sugar content. The bees were sure working it this evening.