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| Black Locust Trees have large clumps of flowers |
Black Locust trees are in full bloom across the metro. This can be very good nectar flow if you have some Black Locust trees near your colonies. Strong colonies should have two honey supers on right now. The supers should be checked every five days during this nectar flow. If the hive fills one super and has nectar in the second super, two more supers should be added. Stay ahead of the bees or they will pack the brood nest with honey.
Unfortunately, package bees are still to low in population to get a crop of honey from Black Locust. But the package bee populations are getting larger. Everyone that has put in package bees should have their second boxes on by now. Package bees still need to be fed if they are still making comb. With the increasing population of bees, the making of comb will be speeding along at a faster rate.
The main nectar flow is on the horizon, it starts around June 15th. While this date is not always exact, it is the date beekeepers use to make sure they are ready.
Swarm control is now on the front burner. Getting a good honey crop depends on keeping the bees from swarming. Weekly checks of the hives looking for swarm cells, should be on every beekeepers calendar. Yes, package bees can swarm. Cut the cells before they are capped.
This is the exciting time for being in the hive. Frames of capped brood are hatching out bees everyday. Hive strength is increasing. Everyday the number of bees in the hive is greater than the day before. The queen is laying at warp speed. Large populations of bees, with the nectar flow on the horizon. We had a good rain and the warm temperatures are making the bees and honey plants to grow. Beekeepers are hoping for a big honey crop.
