Here in SW Pennsylvania, spring is perhaps running 3
weeks late and maple bloom now 9 April is what would
normally be occurring about 15 March, bees having
missed some of the earlier blooming silver maple at
lower elevations due to very poor foraging conditions.
Now red and silver maple blooming in upper elevations
is much more accessible, having a few warm days here
and there,,, no dandelion yet.
My colonies have come through winter in very nice
shape. Late springs usually delay the buildup
somewhat, but I am staying on top because they will
build much more rapidly, albeit perhaps a week or so
late. I kinda prefer the late springs because it
shortens the lul between the end of maple and the
start of locust, and the colonies come into the locust
on a maple fueled, accelerated broodnest expansion.
I’m getting several feral colony calls already, and
happy to report an abundance of calls in my hometown
which lagged in the feral recovery compared to better
bee habitat places more distant. In similar seasons,
swarms have been late about a week, but tend come on
very strongly when swarming starts, as my extremely
’pro bee’ local pest company reports their take, when
we discuss each bee call season. BTW, I often wonder
why Penn State, and other bee research aren’t tapping
this tremendous resource for the purpose of gaining
data on early feral recovery areas, a simple zip code
on each bee call can tell much.
Best Wishes,
Joe
Feralbeeproject.com
“Many-colored, sunshine-loving, spring-betokening
bee! Yellow bee, so mad for love of early-blooming
flowers. Till thy waxen cell be full, fair fall thy
work and thee, buzzing round the sweetly smelling
garden plants and bowers.” -Nicias
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/HistoricalHoneybeeArticles/
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