Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: bailey on January 24, 2011, 06:41:40 pm
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just wanted to give a little report from down louisiana way.
first good sign of the day, was talking with jp earlier today and he pointed out he saw drone brood in a recent cutout. when that starts here the spring buildup is begining!!
next good sign of the day, i walked over to a red maple tree and saw that the bloom has started with alot of blooms coming on quick!! when this happens down here the spring buildup is begining!!
all i need to see now is the willows start to show green on the tips of their tops and ill be making nucs up from swarm cells for my expansion and some very early nucs! :piano:
that is if i dont get any really bad cold weather in the next 2 to 3 weeks :thunder:
any other southern folks seeing red maple yet?
bailey
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filberts are about to pop pollen here. seems a little early to me, but i won't complain. usually they do it mid February and i think they have another week to go before they really pop.
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Red maples have been in full swing here for about 2 weeks. The bees are really bringing in pollen too! I'm not talkin' just a little bit, I'm talkin' frame after frame worth...no pollen sub needed this year!
I've been going through the hives and there is some drone brood but not a lot. I'm sure that will change in the next week or so.
I opted to start grafting earlier than normal this year due to this (I'm thinking to do the first round Feb 10). as long as the drone stock is plentiful.
Scott
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bailey, the red maples started blooming 10 days ago and today they were bring in some pollen.i checked the willows and some are starting to bloom ,just a few though.if we don't get that real cold weather next month we will be in good shape. ...schawee
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schawee
thanks, i didnt get a good look at the willow yet so i didnt know. any of your larger 2 year old hives have drone brood?
hardwood.
mid feb was when i was going to target here, or when ever jp calls and brags that he has caught his first swarm, whichever comes first.
but like you it will depend on the drones i see.
bailey
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Oh, you people are killing me. We have two feet on snow on the ground and it snows every day. This last weekend it was 30 degrees below zero all weekend.
I have to say, its nice to hear you get excited about spring though. Good luck to you.
Leechmann
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Nooooo i need cold weather I have a goose hunt on the 11th i need cold weather to keep em down here
Keith
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ill buy you a goose! :yippiechick: :yippiechick: :yippiechick:
i need mild weather!
good luck on your hunt keith!
bailey
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WOW!!! Sounds Great!!!
We won't be using the term spring in the present tense for a few months yet up here.
I can hardly wait now, after listening to you all. Thanks for the lift.
Joel
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I still have half of a snowman in the front yard. (pick up the hat and scarf today off the ground)
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bailey,i will check my old hives tomorrow if its not raining. ...schawee
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ya'll need to send some of that warm weather up here to VA we have been in the deep freeze for about 2 months with just a few 40 degree days to break it up
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Nooooo i need cold weather I have a goose hunt on the 11th i need cold weather to keep em down here
Keith
geese have been slowly migrating north bound here, they fly mainly at night. listen for the honk if you haven't already. occasionally I see and hear them during day light hours. this time last year the California wild rose was in bloom. only see but a few this year
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Oh, you people are killing me. We have two feet on snow on the ground and it snows every day. This last weekend it was 30 degrees below zero all weekend.
I have to say, its nice to hear you get excited about spring though. Good luck to you.
Leechmann
It is about the same in Massachusetts but the temp. -20f
BEE HAPPY JIM :)
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Things keep going the way they are, we may just start shaking swarms come mid February, is what I'm thinking. Every thing I've been looking at lately is booming and pollen is coming in like gang busters!
Not trying to rub it in I swear! ;)
...JP
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filberts are about to pop pollen here.
They're popping over here on the West side. With the warm weather I decided to put out some mid-Winter snacks.
:-D
[youtube]mivzovQWZdU[/youtube]
Of course Spring is definitely a ways off up here, despite sunny & upper 50's being forecast for the next several days.
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filberts are about to pop pollen here.
They're popping over here on the West side. With the warm weather I decided to put out some mid-Winter snacks.
:-D
[youtube]mivzovQWZdU[/youtube]
Of course Spring is definitely a ways off up here, despite sunny & upper 50's being forecast for the next several days.
Show off :-D guess i'll have to settle for the knowing so far so good with the divits in the snow on top of the hives
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I just worry with the late freeze that kills off my peach blooms after an early spring. My bees were flying good yesterday, I think just stretching their wings a bit cuz I didnt see any pollen going in yet. Somethings a blooming though-my contacts are wanting to float out of my eyes.
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Ya the bees were flying all over the place here and not bringing in anything also. But they were all flying.
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bailey,4 of the 9, 2year old hives has drone cells. ...schawee
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Schawee, are your hives packed with bees in those four? After this cold spell it just might be time to start contemplating splits!
...JP
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jp,all 4 of the hives are packed with bees.bailey,went through 12 hives today and everyone had drone larvae and caped drone cells.alot of caped brood and tons of bees in all hives.looks like ill be doing alot of splits and a early swarm season if the weather stays mild. ...schawee
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heck wid them little stingers, who got the croppie hole? i am looking fo the first redbud and dogwood to tell me they on the bank
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You gonna hog the shady side of the tree again Bud? :-D
...JP
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Shade tree? Now no self respecting fisherman needs one of them. The dedication of the fisherman is determined by how cold he is willing to fish in (had ice freezing in my guides before). Then in the summer time it's how bad the sunburn is (if you can't sit back on a vynil truck seat cause ya took ya shirt off. :-D How about sending me some of that warm weather up this way boys i'm freezing.
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shucks you know it cajun, you know i got them allergies; work and lotta sun. seeing all yall on this post getting me lonesome to rub my eyeballs on y0uall
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Big Daddy, before you know it we'll be side by side, either knee deep in crappie or bees! :-D
...JP
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Bees were flying a couple days of days last week. We are a mile high here in Colorado but had two gorgeous spring days last week. But nothing to bring in. Today - snow and highs in the teens. But at least I know my two hives have survived so far. Enjoy your early spring you Southerners!
John
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We're looking at a high of +5 degrees today. I'm not going to even think about Spring for five weeks. I can't make it come any faster so why even think about it. I'll just keep reading about JP and Schawee dumping splits and picking up swarms until the first of April. Then I'll start looking ahead to being able to do something Spring like myself.
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looked like spring here in e. texas untill this morning now 26
did y'all get the cole snap also
Dave
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Yes in deed gonna keep the geese down here for a little longer!! let it snow let it snow let it snow :evil: :evil: :evil:
Keith
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A guy was telling me there's no limit on some type of goose right now, I believe snow but maybe it was Canadian. I don't hunt birds hardly ever so I'm not up on 'em.
Get your goose huntin' in Keith, cause after this cold front its bee time!
You still have any hives left?
...JP
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oh yeah I only lost one when I was on vacation.
Its a conservation hunt for snows and blue geese there is no limit. All others the season is over
Keith
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Signs of spring in Michigan too:
A new foot of snow, a blizzard, and hives drifted over.
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At least it is a spring snow.
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Keith, I like to cook most all birds in a roasting bag with lots of onion, seasoning and some butter. What y'all do with the geese?
I'll trade you a few swarms for a goose if you like.
...JP
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Yes in deed gonna keep the geese down here for a little longer!! let it snow let it snow let it snow :evil: :evil: :evil:
Keith
Keith--
That's funny. We (OK, some people) relish the nasty weather from the north in the Fall as that's what gets those same birds moving south!
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Just seen/heard a mated pair of Canadians flying NE, past golf course by my borage filled garden, this evening.
Inspected some of my hives & brood comb & drone comb in 2nd year hives, some nectar & pollen coming in loads. Seen one drone crawling on ground in apiary today. Early pink peach flowers & some apple seems season is advanced ahead of time. Sunny so-Cal w/ a few swarms for others by coast, more but inland in valley not reported yet. Santa Ana winds blowing bees around but abating later in week. Building more bee nuc's, honey supers & hive stands incase this year beats out 2010.
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After this next couple of fronts I really think its gonna happen. Dreamed I caught five swarms last night in one day (great dream!), which would tie what I did already. Maybe I can catch six in one day, perhaps this season will be the ticket.
If the extended forecast is anywhere near accurate, looks like the eleventh they will start getting at it again.
...JP
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When spring bursts out down there, you folks should take some pictures and post them. Then just sit back and watch as us northerners just druel with envy. I would love to see some early spring bee pictures.
Leechmann
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I'll do better than that Leechmann. I will video all the swarms I catch. Last season I purchased my camera late spring and missed out on filming a bunch of swarms, so this season I am ready!
...JP
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That's Awesome JP. My wife and I watched all of your videos last year. Very entertaining. Couple that with spring and a new season, I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks JP,
Leechmann
PS, Don't eat any of those snow geese, they're awful. They call them sky carp up here. Chicken is way better.
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Anything tastes good with enough hot sauce!
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OK, what about the Canadians?
...JP
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OK, what about the Canadians?
...JP
The canadians are much better. If you want, I can get you a pretty good recipe.
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OK, then, Keith, I'll trade you two swarms for a Canadian goose! :-D
How about that recipe Leechmann?
...JP
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Give me a day or two JP. My buddy makes Canadian goose and its really good. I'll get it from him and send it your way.
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Man, the last time I ate a Canadian was when I was 18 and it was spring break in Daytona....oh wait...ya'll are talking about geese :-D
Scott
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:lau:
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Man, the last time I ate a Canadian was when I was 18 and it was spring break in Daytona....oh wait...ya'll are talking about geese :-D
Scott
Hopefully, that was before the cross dressing! :-D
...JP