In message <[log in to unmask]>, Robert Brenchley 
<[log in to unmask]> writes

I almost replied to another post of yours just now, when you said your 
bees
build up in May. Did they do so at the normal time this year?

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Re Allens post about edits and quotes. Sadly this time I could not as 
the post I am replying to turned up below my signature line on list and 
if i hit reply it vanished.

However, back to the subject matter.

Build up this year was close to its historical normal time, with egg 
laying accelerating from mid April onwards, and in full swing during 
May. In apiaries on the rapeseed/canola the build up was perfectly 
normal albeit a little behind recent seasons, in the handful of ones 
(only 4 out of 68 yards) on other duties (such as ones paid to be on a 
couple of strawberry farms) build up was slow and never got into the 
almost explosive phase we get mid May time most years.

In the context of recent seasons however this could be deemed a bit 
late. In 2007 brood nest expansion was well under way in early April and 
swarm preparations were in hand by the third week of the month in any 
groups that had not been attended to in time.

In both seasons the wheels came off in June, although I would suggest 
that 07 was worse than 08 in that respect, at least in our area. In 07 
it rained horizontally for much of the month, daytime max of 11 to 14 C 
was pretty normal, and there were no decent flowers about. Colonies not 
stimulated by feeding syrup which were split in early June and left with 
3 bars of brood had only 3 to 6 bars of brood at month end. ( Normally 
about 20 to 25 days is the time it takes to be back at a full and 
congesting nest requiring further action. Note, these are the half with 
the old queen, left on the position of the original colony and get all 
the flying bees back to mother.)

In 08 the June build up was slow and colonies split in early June DID 
prosper in time for going to the heather, but never needed any more 
serious attention. The splits themselves were either made before the 
fourth of June and prospered with good early mated queens or those made 
from 5th June onwards till the end of the month just failed to mate for 
protracted spells, often turned drone layer, and never built up 
properly. Those ones which did mate are going into this winter on a bit 
of a wing and a prayer, being a bit smaller than I normally like to see.

I understand what you say about the need for quieter bees than we 
tolerate due to them being on your allotment. We are wary of anything 
TOO nasty as at heather time we are on estates with a very high footfall 
of walkers so serious followers are not accepted, nor are types who are 
in attack mode on days with good bee handling conditions.
-- 
Murray McGregor

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