[MidwifeBee]

How do i know when the honey flow is in my area? I dont have a lot of friendly beekeepers around to ask questions and our county extension agent is not familiar with this.

We have had a pretty good amount of rain (unusual for us) it wont last long and we should get pretty dry quick.

Thanks
Kelli

 

[Ravenseye]

Without knowing the plants that are blooming and that attract bees, I'd just go by what the hive looks and feels like. If you have a super on, check once in a while. You don't even have to pop the top. Stick a hive tool in the seam and pop it loose. Heft it up a few inches. An empty super feels....well....empty (even considering the weight of the cover). As it fills, you'll notice it right away. BUT....if the bees are backfilling the brood chamber and you're only hefting the super, you won't know. That's when hefting the hive or a good inspection will give you the info that you need.

 

[sqkcrk]

How do i know when the honey flow is in my area?
Thanks
Kelli

I know when the nectar flow is on here when I pull a frame of brood out of its' box and shake the bees off of it and the nectar wets my shoes. Otherwise, it's by seeing nectar producing plants in bloom and seeing bees issuing from the hives quickly and returning.

 

[beedeetee]

At least around my area:

1. Bees come in heavy and miss the landing board. They rest a bit before flying up to the entrance.

2. If you have older drawn comb in the brood boxes and when you take off the cover you see new white wax along the top bars and the upper cells you know that it is close.

3. Your beehive smells like clothes that need to be washed.

4. In the evening you walk by your hives and they are humming loudly. (Also could be that they lost their queen).

5. You can put sugar water or honey out and they don't care.

6. You can take the top off a powerful hive with not gloves/veil and they don't care at all about you.

There are probably more that I can't think of right now.

 

[MidwifeBee]

Beedeetee,
that was a great list. I have several of those things happening. I have seen stored liquid in the top section of the frames with brood and eggs and some of my outer frames have a lot of the liqiud, but that is not what I am looking for. Just added another brood box so it might be a bit longer.

Thanks
Kelli

 

[Countryboy]

In the general beekeeping forum, there is a sticky thread for posting bloom dates. That is entered into a database by zip codes. If you look up your zip code, or nearby zip codes, you may be able to get an idea when your high nectar producing plants start blooming.

 

[jdesq]

Another way is, you can smell the honey as you get close to your hive.