Last Week in the Apiary

Last Week in the Apiary - 5th Week of July 2026

8/5/2026

A solo colony sits on a rooftop open while being inspected (beekeeper not shown). The colony is full of bees and appears very healthy.

A rooftop research colony started this year as a split appears to be thriving! Photo by Eric Malcolm, July 28, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 4 hours 48 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 14 minutes
Time in the Barn: ~10 hours
Total Colonies: 65
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 88°
Low: 62°
Avg: 75.6°
Total Precipitation: 0.76”

Actions:
In the yard: Performed health inspection (n=1) on one of our single colony yards. Pulled 17 full honey supers from overwintered colonies (n=20) and removed all empty supers. Left small number of supers with nectar on strong colonies.
In the barn: A group of us cleaned the extraction area and sanitized surfaces and equipment for honey extraction!

Observations:
We are noticing honey production is down this year. We are also starting to see more small hive beetle (SHB) adults this week.

Reflections:
Several overwintered colonies that were strong in the spring produced only one super of honey. This is the second year this appears to be true for at least some of our colonies. To help prevent or minimize small hive beetle damage, we are condensing colonies down to maximize adult bee coverage on each frame.

Things in bloom:
Crepe Myrtle, Queen Anne’s Lace, Dutch Clover, Yellow Sweet Clover, Chicory, Common Cinquefoil, Daisy Fleabane, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Clustered Mountain Mint, Virginia Mountain Mint, Spearmint, Peppermint, Basil, St. John’s Wort, Blue Vervain, Early Goldenrod, Black-eyed Susan, Glossy Abelia, Purple Loosestrife, Wild Potato Vine, New England Aster, Swamp Milkweed, Tropical Milkweed, Anise Hyssop, Bottlebrush Buckeye, Culver’s Root, Japanese Spiraea, False Sunflower, Winged Sumac

0 Comments

Last Month in Maryland - June 2026

7/28/2026

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 4th Week of July 2026

7/28/2026

0 Comments

Forager bees landing on the hive entrance bringing in bright yellow pollen while other bees are fanning Nasanov pheromone.

Foragers bringing in yellow pollen in mid-July and other bees fanning Nasanov pheromone. Photo by Eric Malcolm, July 16, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 3 hour 08 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 8 minutes
Total Colonies: 65
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 93°
Low: 56°
Avg: 76°
Total Precipitation: 0.59”

Actions:
Found and moved queens and medium brood boxes back below excluder in hives that were put back together incorrectly at last weeks inspections (n=3). Removed empty supers. Replaced 3 medium frames in a deep brood box (n=1). Finished July health inspections and mite sampling (n=10) for our overwintered colonies.

Treated with Formic Pro (n=15), 2 strips per colony.

Observations:
We are starting to see more Small Hive Beetle (SHB) adults present during inspections. Still seeing nectar shaking out when shaking bees off frames during sampling. Bees were bringing in a lot of pollen this week.

Reflections:
The cooler weather this week has been a relief and allowed us to fit a formic acid application in to knock down colonies with high mite loads. We were incredibly grateful for that, as it saved us from doing several oxalic acid applications over the next 5 weeks!

Things in bloom:
Mimosa tree, Crepe Myrtle, Queen Anne’s Lace, Dutch Clover, Yellow Sweet Clover, Chicory, Common Cinquefoil, Purple Crown Vetch, Daisy Fleabane, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Clustered Mountain Mint, Virginia Mountain Mint, St. John’s Wort, Blue Vervain, Early Goldenrod, Black-eyed Susan, Glossy Abelia, Purple Loosestrife, Wild Potato Vine, New England Aster, Ironweed

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 3rd Week of July 2026

7/22/2026

0 Comments

A nurse bee cares for a developing queen larva in a supersedure cell. Photo by Eric Malcolm, July 15, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 6 hours 13 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 8 minutes
Time in the Barn: 3 hours
Total Colonies: 65
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 96°
Low: 62°
Avg: 79.1°
Total Precipitation: 0.0”

Actions:
Fed spring package colonies 1.5 gallon of 1:1 syrup (n=34). Removed empty supers from colonies. Performed full inspections on select overwintered colonies and took samples for mites (n=14). Added 2 frames of bees, capped brood, and eggs to a queenless colony (n=1).

Observations:
Of the fourteen colonies inspected, the average temperament was 3 out of 5, with four colonies between 1.5 and 2 out of 5 which is very defensive. Two colonies had recent queen events: 1 virgin queen from supersedure, 1 queenless. Colonies outside of foraging radius of fed spring package colonies, had nectar in cells not yet dense enough to stay in place when shaken ("shake out") in sampled brood frames, suggesting there is a source of nectar. Some of the honey we’re seeing in capped cells is very dark and tastes good (not spotted lanternfly), may be tulip poplar.

Reflections:
We have been hesitant to continue pushing our treatment schedule back, but this was another week of intense heat and decided to push it back ONE MORE WEEK.

Things in bloom:
Mullein, Mimosa tree, Crepe Myrtle, Queen Anne’s Lace, Dutch Clover, Yellow Sweet Clover, Hare’s Foot Clover, Chicory, Common Cinquefoil, Purple Crown Vetch, Daisy Fleabane, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Clustered Mountain Mint, Virginia Mountain Mint, St. John’s Wort, Blue Vervain, Early Goldenrod, Black-eyed Susan, Glossy Abelia, Purple Loosestrife, Wild Potato Vine, New England Aster, Ironweed

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 2nd Week of July 2026

7/16/2026

0 Comments

A beekeeper sampling bees using a 50 milliliter tube from a white tub..

Sampling colonies for diagnostics. Photo by Harriet Harris. July 8, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 6 hours 24 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 11.5 minutes
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 101°
Low: 69°
Avg: 79.6°
Total Precipitation: 2.89”

Actions:
Sampled for Varroa and did full inspections on spring package colonies (n=33). Also checked food stores for these same colonies.

Observations:
Colonies started from packages in the spring did not have ample food stores (boxes in brood area have little to no frames of food) and require urgent feeding. Four colonies had temperament of 2 out of 5, which is on the spicy side of normal. One colony recently requeened themselves. On average, these colonies were around 8.7 frames of bees.

Reflections:
This week we had planned to start our treatment cycle of oxalic acid vaporization but pushed our treatment schedule back by one week to take advantage of the break in heat for sampling.

Things in bloom:
Russian Sage, Dutch Clover, Yellow Sweet Clover, White Sweetclover, Hare’s Foot Clover, Elderberry, Chicory, Common Cinquefoil, Purple Crown Vetch, Daisy Fleabane, Mullein, Mimosa tree, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Clustered Mountain Mint, Virginia Mountain Mint, Queen Anne’s Lace, Crepe Myrtle, St. John’s Wort, Blue Vervain, White Vervain, Early Goldenrod, Black-eyed Susan, Glossy Abelia, Purple Loosestrife, Wild Potato Vine

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 1st Week of July 2026

7/10/2026

0 Comments

A plot of wildflowers in bloom; the left quarter plot being full of Early goldenrod (yellow blooms) and the right quarter being full of Narrow-leaf mountain mint (white blooms).

Narrow-leaf mountain mint and Early goldenrod in full bloom in our wildflower meadow. Photo by Eric Malcolm, June 29, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 56 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 28 minutes
Time in the Barn: 10 minutes
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 100°
Low: 67°
Avg: 80.6°
Total Precipitation: 0.85”

Actions:
In the barn: Loaded wood block stands in truck and got geared up.
In the apiary: Added stands to the last 2 colonies without stands to raise them off of the ground to improve ventilation. We also collected and relocated the black widow spider that was discovered last week, along with many of her spiderlings. Reviewed our Varroa results per yard and made an Oxalic Acid Vaporization treatment schedule to treat yards with colonies near or over the 3 mites per 100 bees (3%) threshold.

Observations:
The heat index this week peaked at 111° and we decided to hold off on doing any intensive field work. The native wildflower plot is continuing to show nice results with Narrow-leaf mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) and Early goldenrod (Salidago juncea) both in full bloom!

Reflections:
If bee work can not wait for cooler temperatures, be sure to hydrate and consider working bees early in the morning, before the heat of the day. Heat related illness can be cause for serious concern. While we love spiders and a healthy ecosystem, this week served as another reminder to always check under the telescoping lids before grabbing them!

Things in bloom:
Russian Sage, Lavender, Dutch Clover, Sweet Yellow Clover, White Sweetclover, Elderberry, Golden Raintree, Chicory, Common Cinquefoil, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Common Yarrow, Magnolia, Purple Crown Vetch, Daisy Fleabane, Mullein, Orange Day-lily, Mimosa tree, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Clustered Mountain Mint, Virginia Mountain Mint, Queen Anne’s Lace, Crepe Myrtle, Staghorn Sumac, Winged Sumac, St. John’s Wort, American Pokeweed, Blue Vervain, Early Goldenrod, Black-eyed Susan, Milkweed, Amur Honeysuckle, Leatherleaf Viburnum, Dogbane, Glossy Abelia

A black widow spider with distinctive red markings on her back. She and her spiderlings are inside of a plastic bag while being moved from the apiary.

A large black widow spider and spiderlings in a plastic bag for transport to the UMD Insect Zoo. Photo by Eric Malcolm, June 29, 2026.

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 4th Week of June 2026

7/1/2026

0 Comments

Honey bees clearing out recently emptied emergency queen cells. Photo by Eric Malcolm, June 25, 2026, College Park, MD.

Time in the Yard: 6 hours 20 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 7 minutes
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 91°
Low: 58°
Avg: 75.21°
Total Precipitation: 0.74”

Actions:
Performed full colony health inspections and sampled overwintered colonies for Varroa (n=22). Took a count of supers with capped honey to prepare for harvesting and extraction. Added supers with foundation to package colonies for space (n=24).

Observations:
We spotted evidence of successful emergency requeening in one colony. Two colonies observed had entombed honey and pollen in their brood chamber, which can be an indicator of pesticide presence. One colony was recorded as Queen Not Seen (QNS), where no eggs were seen, but there were plenty of very young larvae and the colony behaved as if queen right. Most overwintered colonies have 1 super of capped honey and are working on their second super. Very few small hive beetles (SHB) seen in the operation this week. Only one colony had 12 beetles that we dispatched. The most exciting find of the week was a female Black Widow spider and 3 egg sacs hanging under a lid of a hive.

Reflections:
There still appears to be a lot of options for foraging but the nectar flow has slowed significantly. We are not seeing the same slow and steady build up we saw over the past few weeks regarding food stores. As population growth slows, we will be keeping a close eye on space and removing empty or unneeded boxes from the hive. We are planning to harvest within the next 3 weeks.

Things in bloom:
Russian Sage, Dutch Clover, Elderberry, Sweet Yellow Clover, White Sweetclover, Golden Raintree, Chicory, Common Cinquefoil, Yucca (Adam's Needle), Oakleaf Hydrangea, Common Yarrow, Magnolia, Purple Crown Vetch, Daisy Fleabane, Mullein, Orange Day-lily, Mimosa tree, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Clustered Mountain Mint, Virginia Mountain Mint, Queen Anne’s Lace, Crepe Myrtle, Staghorn Sumac, Winged Sumac, St. John’s Wort, American Pokeweed, Blue Vervain, Hare’s Foot Clover, Field Bindweed, Early Goldenrod, Black-eyed Susan, Milkweed, Amur Honeysuckle, Daisy Fleabane, Leatherleaf Viburnum, Dogbane, Glossy Abelia, Japanese Knotweed

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 3rd Week of June 2026

6/23/2026

0 Comments

Pollinators visiting newly emerged Narrowleaf mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium). Photo by Eric Malcolm, June 16, 2026, Beltsville, MD.

Time in the Yard: 0 minutes
Time in the Barn: 8 hours
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 92°
Low: 54°
Avg: 73.8°
Total Precipitation: 0.37”

Actions:
We scraped and cleaned boxes (n=20) of old stored medium frames and foundation that had damaged wax comb. We also applied fresh beeswax to the foundation in preparation to add space to growing packages.

Observations:
Cleaning and waxing the foundation took much longer than expected. Our plot of Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, planted 2 years ago, have just started to bloom in our wildflower plot for the first time!

Reflections:
It would have taken less time but more money to replace the damage wax comb foundations with new, waxed foundation. We still felt good about the time spent because we were able to reuse the old plastic and not send it to the landfill.

Things in bloom:
Russian Sage, Dutch Clover, Red Clover, Elderberry, Sweet Yellow Clover, White Sweetclover, Golden Raintree, Chicory, Basswood, Common Cinquefoil, Yucca (Adam's Needle), Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea, Common Yarrow, Magnolia, Purple Crown Vetch, Daisy Fleabane, Mullein, Orange Day-lily, Mimosa tree, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Clustered Mountain Mint, Virginia Mountain Mint, Chinese Chestnut, Queen Anne’s Lace, Crepe Myrtle, Staghorn Sumac, Winged Sumac, St. John’s Wort

A large plot of Narrowleaf Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) planted in the Fall of 2024, grows and blooms for the first time. Photo by Eric Malcolm, June 16, 2026, Beltsville, MD.

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary- 2nd Week of June 2026

6/18/2026

0 Comments

A cluster of white Silky Dogwood flowers with a backdrop of green foliage.

A cluster of blooms on a Silky Dogwood (Cornus amomum). Photo by Eric Malcolm, June 6, 2026, College Park, MD.

Time in the Yard: 30 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 6 minutes
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 95°
Low: 58°
Avg: 76.8°
Total Precipitation: 0.73”

Actions:
Added supers to package colonies (n=5) that had comb starting to be drawn between the top medium brood box and the inner cover.

Observations:
Nectar is still coming in and we’re starting to see more capped honey than in past weeks.

Reflections:
We were happy but a little surprised by the need for supers during last weeks inspection, but the packages have really taken off now that brood is emerging. We could have saved our trip this week had we packed some honey supers on the truck "just in case" during our inspecting for queens last week.

Note to self: Always keep some extra boxes on the truck.

Things in bloom:
Russian Sage, Dutch Clover, Red Clover, Elderberry, Sweet Yellow Clover, White Sweetclover, Golden Raintree, Chicory, Basswood, Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Common Cinquefoil, Yucca (Adam's Needle), Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea, Common Yarrow, Sweet William, Foxglove Beardtongue, Magnolia, Purple Crown Vetch, Daisy Fleabane, Mullein, Orange Day-lily, Silky Dogwood, Mimosa tree, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Chinese Chestnut, Queen Anne’s Lace, Crepe Myrtle, Staghorn Sumac, Winged Sumac

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 1st Week of June 2026

6/9/2026

0 Comments

A brood frame full of capped brood, pollen, and bees. On the bottom left of the image is a capped supersedure cell and to the upper right the current queen can be seen, unmarked. from a bee hive

A capped supersedure cell in a queen right colony believed to be superseding their current queen. Photo by Eric Malcolm, June 4, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 4 hours 51 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 7.5 minutes
Total Colonies: 66
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 89°
Low: 47°
Avg: 66.35°
Total Precipitation: 0.0”

Actions:
We checked our package colonies for queen status and for swarm, supersedure, and emergency queen cells (n=35)
Combined a weak and queenless colony (n=1) with a stronger colony. Removed swarm cells (n=1).

Applied Formic Pro (n=2), 2 strips each, to a small yard where one colony tested above 3 mites per 100 bees.

Observations:
Three of the thirty-six colonies made from packages were found to have gone queenless, despite repeated attempts at requeening. One colony was superseding their queen. Nectar is starting to come in more noticeably and colony populations are growing. We will need to install supers on a few of our package colonies and combine one other queenless colony next week.

Reflections:
We started our field day early to try to miss the hottest part of the day. Temperatures are beginning to climb above 85°F consistently and we have to be mindful of potential heat related illness. Staying hydrated, taking frequent A/C or shade breaks during the day are good ways to keep ourselves from overheating.

Things in bloom: Amur Honeysuckle, Russian Sage, Dutch Clover, Red Clover, Catalpa, Southern Arrowwood , Elderberry, Butterfly Weed, Sweet Yellow Clover, Japanese Lilac Tree, Golden Raintree, Chicory, Basswood, Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Catalpa, Multi-flora Rose, Ground Ivy, Common Cinquefoil, White Dogwood, Border Privet, Yucca (Adam's Needle), Oakleaf Hydrangea, Common Yarrow, Sweet William, Foxglove Beardtongue, Magnolia

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 4th Week of May 2026

6/2/2026

0 Comments

A beekeeper holds a telescoping cover that has just been removed from a beehive with one deep box and prepares to add a medium box to it.

Graduate student Harriet Harris preparing to add a medium brood box to a colony started as a package this spring. Photo by Eric Malcolm, May 28, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 6 hours 31 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 7 minutes
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 81°
Low: 49°
Avg: 65.5°
Total Precipitation: 1.36”

Actions:
Reviewed lab diagnostic results for our sampled colonies. Added one medium box to all but one of our package colonies (n=35).
Treated overwintered colonies in the yards that had one or more colonies above 2 mites per 100 bees.

Treated with Formic Pro (n=20), 2 strips per colony.

Observations:
A lot of brood has emerged since our last inspections and colonies’ populations are growing. Overwintered colonies have enough food for their immediate needs but have still not produced much surplus honey.

Reflections:
This week and the first 3 days of next week are projected to be below 85° and we wanted to take this opportunity to apply formic acid treatments prior to the hot summer weather.

Things in bloom:
Amur Honeysuckle, Russian Sage, Dutch Clover, Red Clover, Catalpa, Southern Arrowwood , Elderberry, Butterfly Weed, Sweet Yellow Clover, Japanese Lilac Tree, Golden Raintree, Chicory, Basswood, Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, Catalpa, Hubricht’s Bluestar, Multi-flora Rose, Ground Ivy, Common Cinquefoil, White Dogwood, Border Privet, Yucca (Adam's Needle), Oakleaf Hydrangea, Common Yarrow, Sweet William, Foxglove Beardtongue, Magnolia

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 3rd Week of May 2026

6/1/2026

0 Comments

A frame from a queenless colony with two uncapped swarm cells.

A frame from the brood area of a queenless colony with two uncapped swarm cells. Photo by Eric Malcolm, August 24, 2024.

Time in the Yard: 1 hour
Avg Time per Colony: 30 minutes
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 96°
Low: 50°
Avg: 71.4°
Total Precipitation: 1.47”

Actions:
We checked colonies that had been requeened in the previous week for queen acceptance (n=2).

Observations:
Both colonies inspected were Queen Not Seen (no eggs or young larvae). Both had queen cells with young larvae in them. We will check again in two weeks for queen status.

Reflections:
The rain this week was very welcome and much needed. We hope the added moisture will support continued bloom and help bring more nectar into the colonies in the coming weeks.

Things in bloom:
European Field Pansy, Dandelion, Purple Crown Vetch, Paulownia, Amur Honeysuckle, Tulip Poplar, Russian Sage, Golden Alexander, Daisy Fleabane, Dutch Clover, Crimson Clover, Red Clover, Catalpa, Southern Arrowwood, Elderberry, Sweet Yellow Clover

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 2nd Week of May 2026

6/1/2026

0 Comments

The only thing in the honey supers that was above the excluder this week aside from a few worker bees was a dead European hornet. Photo by Eric Malcolm, May 14, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 7 hours 48 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 12 minutes
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 80°
Low: 38°
Avg: 59.8°
Total Precipitation: 0.96”

Actions:
We equalized and checked queen status of the last of the colonies installed from packages seven weeks ago (n=12). Requeened queenless colonies (n=4). Performed full inspections (n=19) and sampled colonies for Varroa (n=19).

Observations:
We saw similar variation in frames of bees among the package colonies as seen in those checked last week. There was very little stored nectar in supers in overwintered colonies. Overall, queenright colonies had solid and healthy looking brood patterns and lots of capped brood. We also found swarm cells, in a colony that did not appear crowded.

Reflections:
Based on early blooms, we had prepared for a strong nectar surge. That did not go as expected! Many honey supers remain dry. This was a useful reminder that sometimes despite us being prepared and colonies appearing ready for a nectar flow, environmental conditions ultimately determine how much nectar is produced. But that’s the way farming goes sometimes.

Things in bloom: Common Stork’s bill, European Field Pansy, Dandelion, Purple Crown Vetch, Paulownia, Amur Honeysuckle, Tulip Poplar, Russian Sage, Burning Bush, Golden Alexander, Daisy Fleabane, Dutch Clover, Crimson Clover, Red Clover, Catalpa

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 1st Week of May 2026

6/1/2026

0 Comments

A frame of capped brood, pollen and bee bread covered with workers.

A frame of brood and food resources, covered with bees from a strong package colony's queen. Photo by Eric Malcolm, May 12, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 1 hour 30 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 7 minutes
Total Colonies: 67
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 83°
Low: 40°
Avg: 59.5°
Total Precipitation: 0.32”

Actions:
We checked queen status and equalized Frames of Bees (FOBs) in colonies installed from packages six weeks ago (n=12). Weaker colonies were also provided with frames of capped brood from stronger colonies. Requeened one colony (n=1) that did not accept their previously introduced new queen.

Observations:
Colonies installed from packages had varying FOBs with populations ranging from 2.5 and 10.5 FOBs, averaging at 4.5 FOB. All colonies had gentle temperaments.

Reflections:
When managing newly installed packages, it is helpful to inspect and equalize them regularly so weaker colonies do not fall too far behind and stronger colonies do not become overcrowded too quickly which could lead to swarming. If we install packages on this scale again, we will plan better safeguards to prevent or minimize drift.

Things in bloom:
Common Stork’s bill, European Field Pansy, Dandelion, Shepherd’s Purse, Star of Bethlehem, Purple Crown Vetch, Japanese Snowball, Paulownia, Black Locust, Black Cherry, Amur Honeysuckle, Amur Maple, Tulip Poplar, Russian Sage, Burning Bush, Golden Alexander, Daisy Fleabane, Dutch Clover, Crimson Clover, American Sycamore, American Elm, Red Clover

0 Comments

Last Week in the Apiary - 5th Week of April 2026

5/7/2026

0 Comments

Leaves of a Tulip Poplar tree with subtle, almost hidden, yellow and orange colored flowers appearing amongst the leaves.

A Tulip Poplar in bloom in Savage, MD. Photo by Eric Malcolm, May 5, 2026.

Time in the Yard: 1 hour 45 minutes
Avg Time per Colony: 8 minutes
Total Colonies: 66
Temperature (°F):
Hi: 68°
Low: 36°
Avg: 53.8°
Total Precipitation: 0.7”

Actions:
Checked queen status and equalized Frames of Bees in colonies (12) installed from packages 5 weeks ago. Performed full inspection on overwintered hive (1).

Observations:
Queens were all accepted in this yard and were laying. Colonies with sealed brood displayed excellent brood patterns (4 and 5 out of 5).

Reflections:
This week was overcast and cool, but sometimes the work can’t wait for the weather to be perfect. Due to workload, this week was not a big bee work week. We were glad that we already installed all of our supers last week.

Things in bloom:
Common Stork’s bill, European Field Pansy, Dandelion, Shepherd’s Purse, Star of Bethlehem, Purple Crown Vetch, Japanese Snowball, Paulownia, Black Locust, Black Cherry, Amur Honeysuckle, Amur Maple, Tulip Poplar, Russian Sage, Burning Bush, Golden Alexander, Daisy Fleabane, Dutch Clover, Crimson Clover

0 Comments

<<Previous

Archives