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Author Topic: Too much rain - should I keep feeding?  (Read 1091 times)

Offline Davepeg

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Too much rain - should I keep feeding?
« on: August 02, 2009, 04:52:23 pm »
This has been one of the rainiest summers in the Northeast.  While the hives look good and I do see some bees coming back with pollen, we were concerned about the loss of nectar.  So this morning I cooked up a batch of bee tea and fed the 6 hives (using a board feeder).  Within a few hours the feeders were empty.  Is this an indication I should keep feeding?  I prefer the bees to get nectar but don't want them not to have what they need to survive.  I'm in Rockland county NY.
When the sun is out I do see the bees all over the hosta, blackeye susans, whatever is in bloom.

Any comments?
We love the girls...

Offline PeeVee

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Re: Too much rain - should I keep feeding?
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2009, 09:01:04 pm »
This has been the wettest summer I can remember! A few weeks ago I fed my one colony a couple quarts because of the weather and I wanted to encourage them to draw comb on new foundation. I was worried at that time they might be too crowded in the one deep and had added the second. But then the next day the sun came out and Sumac started blooming and I quit worrying. Although there seems to be rain 4 out of 7 days in the week.

I guess that doesn't really answer your question though.

What is blooming there? Are your girls making any honey?

-Paul
-Paul VanSlyke - Cheers from Deposit,NY