How do you know when the honey flow starts?

The only precise way to be aware of the honey flow is to check the behavior of your bees. The most obvious sign is the level of activity and the number of bees out foraging. Bees will come back to the hive fully loaded with nectar, while other bees are leaving to gather still more.

How do you get honey flowing?

To get the honey flowing again, bring some water to boil in a pan and then turn off the heat. Place the open honey container in the water and leave it until both the water and the honey are cool. DO NOT microwave honey.

How can you tell if bees are bringing in nectar?

The best way to tell if your hive is bringing back nectar is to weigh it. A hive on a hive scale can tell you a lot about the hive. If you don't have a hive scale, check NASA's honeybeenet in order to determine the flow in your area.

When should I expect honey?

It will take a new beehive a minimum of 4 months to produce honey. A new colony may be producing an excess of honey within 4 months, but not necessarily enough for you to harvest. Practically speaking, your unlikely to harvest any honey from a new colony until its second season.

How long does honey flow last?

Where there are a succession of nectar sources throughout the summer season, a honeyflow may last for many weeks. In other areas significant honeyflows may only last two or three weeks per year from one or a limited number of nectar sources.

Blake Shook - When to Super

What makes a good honey flow?

The two basic requirements are access to nectar and suitable weather. There are various reasons why the weather might not be accommodating, beyond merely the temperature. For example, spring often brings windy conditions not conducive to the honey flow. So, the weather element of the honey flow is variable.

Does rain wash away nectar?

Can nectar be impacted by rainy days? Simply put, the rain can wash away the nectar in the plant blossom. Honey production can be deeply impacted when there are days and weeks of rain.

Do bees collect nectar and pollen at the same time?

Most bees collect just pollen or just nectar on any trip, but a few carry both at the same time. The pollen is stuffed into hairy receptacles on their hind legs called corbiculae. A single bee can carry about half her own body weight in pollen. Once back at the hive, the workers stuff the pollen into an awaiting cell.

What is bee dearth?

To a honey bee, a dearth is a shortage of nectar-producing flowers. The most obvious nectar dearth occurs during the winter, but many places also experience a summer nectar dearth, a hot and dry period between spring flowers and autumn flowers.

How do you make a hive flow?

Once filled and capped, turn the key and inside the honeycomb cells split, creating channels for the honey to flow down while the bees remain undisturbed on the surface of the comb. Watch as pure, fresh honey flows right out of the hive and into your jar. No mess, no fuss.

Why is my honey thick and cloudy?

The naturally occurring glucose in honey is what causes the honey to crystallize. The glucose bonds with the water in the honey to form crystals. Over time, more crystals form and create a solid layer. This gives honey that cloudy appearance.

Why has my runny honey gone solid?

Crystallization occurs because of the natural qualities inside. The natural sugars in honey (glucose and fructose) will bind together and begin to form little crystals, which can start making your honey harder. With differing blends, some honey will begin to crystallize faster than others.

Will bees swarm during a nectar flow?

Usually, swarming activity coincides with the nectar flow in the spring. This is when a wide variety of plants are in bloom, making nectar and pollen resources bountiful.

How long is the nectar flow?

So, what is a nectar flow? Also called a honey flow, it's a period of time, usually a few to several weeks long, when an abundance of one or more nectar producing plants are in bloom. These are the times when your bees can produce lots of honey.

What are the yellow things on bees legs?

The pollen basket or corbicula (plural corbiculae) is part of the tibia on the hind legs of certain species of bees. They use the structure in harvesting pollen and carrying it to the nest or hive.

Why are my bees not collecting pollen?

If you do not notice any pollen foraging going on, it could be down to a perfectly natural cause and be no reason to worry. Remember that just because bees are not collecting pollen does not mean that they do not have enough stored away. Furthermore, bees will not forage for pollen when they do not need it.

Can bees fly in rain?

They can fly in light rain, but they don't like to. They use the sun for navigation, so cloudy, wet weather isn't their favorite thing. A heavy rain can make their wings wet, slowing them down. If the raindrops are really big, they can break a bee's wing.

Do bees pollinate when raining?

Rain frequently is accompanied by cooler weather, which delays bloom. But, the delay can last only a short while, and then the flowers open and shed pollen, despite the weather. Honey bees usually neither forage on damp or wet blossoms, nor fly in the rain.

How do you revive a drowning bee?

Help drowning bees by quickly scooping them out of the water, followed by placing the bee in direct sunlight to warm and dry it naturally. Offering sugar-water helps replace lost energy quickly.

Where do bees go when its raining?

The bee might also be knocked to the ground, possibly into a puddle of water where drowning would be a real risk. As a result, bees will usually go into their hive and stay put during periods of rain.

How do you encourage bees to cap honey?

If you want to help the bees with drying and capping, make sure you have both a lower hive opening and an upper one. This allows a circular airflow where drier, cooler air comes in the bottom, and warmer, wetter air leaves through the top.

Does rain affect a nectar flow?

Periods of low rainfall may produce nectar that is slightly higher in sugar, but not dramatically higher. Nectar that is too thick would gum up the plant's vascular system. More likely, flowers just produce less nectar than they would otherwise.

How fast can bees fill a honey super?

A strong colony during a strong honey flow can draw new foundation and fill a honey super in 1 week, and sometimes in 3 to 4 days. An average bee colony will take between 2 to 4 weeks, while a weaker colony will take 1 to 2 months.