On Thu, 27 Jun 1996 07:00:47 +0100 Sid Pullinger wrote:
 
> We have had a crazy season, weatherwise.  Normally I would expect some 10%
> of my bees to make preparations to swarm.  This year it has been 70% and
> this from bees that I regard as non-swarmers.  We can only attribute it to
> the weather.  May  was the coldest for over fifty years.  Bees refused to
> enter the supers and still insisted on swarming on the occasional sunny day,
> oblivious to the fact that the next sunny day was a week away and there was
> little nectar available.  On the last day of May the weather changed and we
> entered the hottest and sunniest June for over fifty years.  Now, 3-4 weeks
> later, nuclei are expanding at a fast rate and main stocks are demanding
> four or five supers.
 
Sid, if its any consulation, the bees here are doing exactly the same thing although they seem
to have settled down now.  I recon the June gap is bringing them to their senses, Yes I stll have
a June gap as Oil Seed Rape is practically non existant in North Down.
 
Cheers
Phil