What to do now?

[harvey]

I recon we are in a dearth right now?  Bees are still working something but I don't know what.  Not much out there.  I figure till my buckwheat comes up and then the goldenrod blooms bees will be eating there own stores and not doing to much.  I did a hive inspection a couple weeks ago.  Is there any reason to go in them between now and fall?  I don't want to go in the hives just to go in them but seems during a slow period or dearth I am kinda bored.  I go checkem each day and they are going about there business so I havn't been back inem.  Question though.  Would it hurt to put a super on the ones that are not ready for one?  Figure just maybe when the goldenrod blooms or the buckwheat they may all of a sudden want some more room or if nothing else maybe they will pull comb this year to use next year?  To early and to much else I need to do before hard fall, so I will wait for winter to build boxes and stuff. 

[Scadsobees]

Not much to do at that point.  Unless you have surplus, now is a good time to pull that off.

You can put extra boxes on if you want, it won't hurt, but if there's plenty of room in the hive and no honey flow...well...you can always take it off later.  They only draw comb if there is a flow and they need the room.  They aren't very good at planning ahead... :roll:

Other than that...well there isn't much to do.  If you treat the bees (I use apiguard) I like to start treatment by mid-august.  I don't usually get much of a fall flow, so anything they get after that is theirs.

[harvey]

Hi Rick,  I am choosing not to treat this year,  for one reason these are all first year hives and I think they are ok,  Hoping anyway.  Not sure about a fall flow here but I know there is a ton of golden rod around,  close to twenty acreas right here!  Last year I got about five frames of honey off of the goldenrod,  I thought it was pretty good.  Kinda hoping that I get some this fall too.  I put supers on three hives that I thought were really booming but they didn't or at least last time I checked they hadn't drawn any comb in them even though the thistle was in full bloom>  Now the thistle is gone.  I did plant some more buckwheat but I think if all goes well it will be close to the end of august before it starts to flower. 

[skflyfish]

I think goldenrod will be early this year. I just came back from da UP and there was some goldenrod open right along the shores of Lake Superior. They still have start thistle and white clover blooming too. My star thistle here is still blooming.

My buckwheat could be growing faster than it is. ;-)