Bee Keeping by the Signs - Phenology

[David LaFerney]

Every gardener has heard - "Plant corn when oak leaves are the size of a squirrels ear." and "Plant potatoes when frosythia blooms." and these phenological tips work great no matter where you live no matter the climate (I think).  Are there similar guidelines for bee keeping - when to make splits, when to open up the brood nest, when to stop taking honey, when to do inspections, when you should be seeing build up if the queen is good, etc? 

[indypartridge]

In the spring, add supers when the dandelions start to bloom.

[David LaFerney]

In the spring, add supers when the dandelions start to bloom.

Yes!  That's what I'm talking about!

[Scadsobees]

Don't leave anything sugary around when the trees turn yellow, or you'll be an unhappy fellow.   :-D

Other than that...I know the main points but am not always sure what to do then...

The two that I anticipate the most:
Maple bloom (just started for me, first pollen)
Apple bloom (also cherry, dandelion)

And then I'm not sure how they correspond to any events, but:
Swarm season
honey season
late summer dearth

[David LaFerney]

Don't leave anything sugary around when the trees turn yellow, or you'll be an unhappy fellow.   

What exactly does that mean?

[JP]

Don't leave anything sugary around when the trees turn yellow, or you'll be an unhappy fellow.   

What exactly does that mean?

He's implying that when the leaves turn yellow, fall is near which usually means flowers in your area have stopped blooming. Careful not to spill anything sweet or you could set off robbing.


...JP

[gmcharlie]

and the old  "swarm in may, worth a load of hay"
"swarm in june, worth a silver spoon.
"swarm in july, not worth a fly

[JP]

and the old  "swarm in may, worth a load of hay"
"swarm in june, worth a silver spoon.
"swarm in july, not worth a fly

The saying doesn't apply everywhere, as we get swarms July, August, September, October and even the occasional one in November.


...JP

[David LaFerney]

and the old  "swarm in may, worth a load of hay"
"swarm in june, worth a silver spoon.
"swarm in july, not worth a fly

The saying doesn't apply everywhere, as we get swarms July, August, September, October and even the occasional one in November.


...JP

So, do you bother with swarms in July?

[JP]

I'll bother with a swarm any time of the year if its available. You just have to feed them more the later it gets in the year.


...JP

[Romahawk]

and the old  "swarm in may, worth a load of hay"
"swarm in june, worth a silver spoon.
"swarm in july, not worth a fly

The saying doesn't apply everywhere, as we get swarms July, August, September, October and even the occasional one in November.


...JP

So, do you bother with swarms in July?

I nearly listened to that old Ditty about letting them fly when a huge swarm settled into an empty hive here the second week in July last year. I was going to combine them with a weaker hive but I'm glad I didn't. That swarm not only filled both double deeps by years end but it also filled about a half of a medium super besides. I let them have it all and I saw some activity around the entrance this morninmg for the first time this year. Hope to see this one erupt in the coming weeks.

Like JP said I'll take a nice swarm anytime, what have you got to loose?  ;)

[gmcharlie]

didn't say don't take them.. he asked for sayings.....  I listed it...

A swarm anytime is good,  if nothing else to a combine on a week hive.

[BjornBee]

That old saying is from old guy who died years ago. The saying is based on someone acting like they never had more than one hive. I can take two frames each from a few hives and instantaneously have a collected swarm ready for winter regardless of June, July, etc.  ;)

[Brian D. Bray]

That old saying is from old guy who died years ago. The saying is based on someone acting like they never had more than one hive. I can take two frames each from a few hives and instantaneously have a collected swarm ready for winter regardless of June, July, etc.  ;)

The saying is from the days when hives were kept exclusively in skeps, gums, etc, and the colony was often destroyed in harvesting the honey.  In those days feeding a hive was unheard of, each swarm had to fend for itself, pretty much feral bees in hollow logs type of beekeeping.  Then a late swarm couldn't often establish itself well enought to grow to sufficient strength and stores to over winter. 
Hence the ditty referred to how well a colony would develop or how much harvestable honey it would produce by fall.

[Michael Bush]

I'd take a swarm in July.  I'd probably even take one in August, but it's hard telling how far it will get depending on when the first hard freeze comes...