Monday, June 8, 2009

The Nectar Flow or you can't get honey if your supers are in the garage

The nectar flow is coming. I stole that title line from Basil Furgala.
I think everyone should be close to being done on drawing comb. ( If they kept feeding syrup).
When the deeps are basically done at being drawn out it is time to do the last reversal of the season. Bring the bottom deep to the top and the top deep to the bottom. This is to get the darkest comb in the top box. The the top box will get full of honey for winter stores. Bees will move up on to dark comb in January easier than white comb.
It is best to put the honey supers on sooner than later. Put them on two at a time If the nectar flow is intense at the start, the bees can fill up a box in a week.
I did see some clover blooms on my lawn and some yellow sweet clover in the ditches. The farmer down the road has cut his hay field. Things are progressing, now with the recent rain I am hopeful for a decent nectar flow.