Bee Yard Update 2
Another year in the bee yard is winding down. Not at all happy with where we are. Too danged hot, dry and what a dearth of nectar and pollen for the late summer. A little tropical weather would have been nice. Looks like we are about 25 inches or so behind in rainfall. Now I am hoping for a little cooler weather to slow foraging down along with the need for as many stores. Noticed the bees shut down on brood rearing a lot earlier this year. I am assuming a lot of environmental factors but I also ran a lot of Carniolan/VSH cross queens so I am wondering if this is also a factor.
North Fl Fair has come and gone with another good honey show sponsored by the Apalachee Beekeepers Assn. We won a few ribbons so we are happy about that.
Persimmons are really getting ripe now, nothing better than a ripe persimmon.
Got the wood heater fired up already. Yes, it gets cold in North Florida. Last year we burned about 5 cords of wood.
The winter solstice is a little over 5 weeks away and with it, we will start a new bee season. There is a lot to do to get ready.