June gap.

[Calluna4u]

I am sure most folk don't need the annual warning at this time....but.....these are hungry times. The weather is not any good for nectar yielding and the flora is currently at its sparsest. If you took away all that OSR honey then starvation can now be a real issue. Colonies are toiling at the moment and post splitting expansion has stalled. Time to be alert for doing some judicious feeding. Weather forecast until at least the 10th July has us in this brisk cool zonal flow from the west. Not much good for anything.

[madasafish]

Yes been feeding all my nucs.

[greengumbo]

I am sure most folk don't need the annual warning at this time....but.....these are hungry times. The weather is not any good for nectar yielding and the flora is currently at its sparsest. If you took away all that OSR honey then starvation can now be a real issue. Colonies are toiling at the moment and post splitting expansion has stalled. Time to be alert for doing some judicious feeding. Weather forecast until at least the 10th July has us in this brisk cool zonal flow from the west. Not much good for anything.

Cheers for the heads up.

Will do a wee check and feed.

[madasafish]

. wrong thread . Sorry

[Bridget]

I am sure most folk don't need the annual warning at this time....but.....these are hungry times. The weather is not any good for nectar yielding and the flora is currently at its sparsest. If you took away all that OSR honey then starvation can now be a real issue. Colonies are toiling at the moment and post splitting expansion has stalled. Time to be alert for doing some judicious feeding. Weather forecast until at least the 10th July has us in this brisk cool zonal flow from the west. Not much good for anything.

Thanks for the info - I've put a slightly different version on our Spey Beekeepers Facebook page - hope that's OK with you
Bridget

[SDM]

There was an nbu starvation alert a few days ago, was that national or local ?

[Wmfd]

I think the NBU warning was national, as we had it down here in East Anglia too.

David

[Jon]

The NBU put that warning out most years in June. Does no harm as colonies are often light especially if the weather has been bad.

[Adam]

My colonies have been going no-where recently; little forage and the weather has been cool. I hope the blackberry yields well soon.

[Greengage]

Its a relief to know iam not alone, As i have been feeding bees for the past two weeks, weather here in Ireland crap.
I have three new queens one is laying like theres no tomorrow and going very strong.
One hive had a queen rot in sealed cell, but i added eggs and have new queen there but not laying yet. Also have another hive with new queen stilll not laying, I am blaming this on the weather (Hope Iam right.)
Other two hive at out Apiary also have new queens both laying very well and lots of stores that is because they are in a walled garden with lots of forage and now the lime trees are in flower. So fingers crossed.

[Adam]

What a difference a couple of weeks makes. A couple of weeks ago the lower supers were emptying and bees were consuming stores from them. I was anticipating a poor harvest. With warm weather here, I have now run out of supers and all are full but not capped enough. Currently I have sweet chestnut, blackberry, privet and lime flowering.

I am trying to give space to older queens where I can with the view (hope) that 2016 queens or yet-to-lay virgins are less likely to swarm if there isn't much room for them.