Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: 10framer on January 30, 2013, 11:38:41 am

Title: what are you seeing?
Post by: 10framer on January 30, 2013, 11:38:41 am
i know the guys in la. and florida are starting to see some activity but what is everybody around mid ga., al. and ms. finding right now? 
i bought 3 nucs from a guy close to atlanta this week and one has capped drone brood and the field bees were bringing bright red pollen (i'm assuming red maple).  these are supposed to have vsh genetics so i'm wondering if that has anything to do with that has something to do with the early drones.
anyway, my hives all have a pretty good amount of brood (3 to 4 deep frames solid capped) but i haven't noticed any drone cells.  so, what are all the other coastal plains and fall line beekeepers seeing right now? 
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: Greg on January 30, 2013, 02:46:58 pm
Opened some overwintered nucs this weekend.

3 frames of eggs, larvae and capped.  New stores being brought in (open feed & pollen).  Looks like they will be expanding pretty soon as there will be more bees to cover more brood in the next couple of weeks.
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: 10framer on January 30, 2013, 04:12:35 pm
crimson clover is blooming on in the median of 431 south in phenix city today.  if we don't have another cold snap i think it's going to be wide open in less than a month.  i'm going to texas the first part of march and i'll probably add a hive body to most of my colonies the day before i leave.
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: Richard on January 30, 2013, 04:56:20 pm
I took this video last week.  Sunny,60 degrees and Red Maple blooming ….these southern girls are “happy, happy, happy”.  Their saddlebags are coming in packed.  It was a great sight to see.  :-D

Richard

Hive Activity 01-24-2013 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmd3ibkOBz4#ws)
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: AllenF on January 30, 2013, 05:00:09 pm
Up here, nothing much.  They were robbing out some dead outs real good this week with it warm.  Cold should be coming in this week.   After that cold spell, I will start to put out a little pollen for them.   Maybe some syrup also if I can find some cheap sugar.  But we still have a bit of winter left here. 
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: 10framer on January 30, 2013, 06:48:43 pm
richard those bees were really going at it hard.  mine have been bringing pollen in but not that much. 
allen i got the nucs in griffin so i was still a good bit south of you even there. 
hope you guys all came through the storm ok.
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: 10framer on January 30, 2013, 06:51:27 pm
richard i guess you're up in the foot hills too.  it looks like it's going to be an early start south of atlanta.
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: Richard on January 30, 2013, 07:01:00 pm
i got the nucs in griffin

Who did you buy your nucs from in Griffin?

Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: 10framer on January 30, 2013, 09:42:23 pm
bob at 3b
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: Jim134 on January 30, 2013, 10:15:59 pm
i know the guys in la. and florida are starting to see some activity but what is everybody around mid ga., al. and ms. finding right now? 
i bought 3 nucs from a guy close to atlanta this week and one has capped drone brood and the field bees were bringing bright red pollen (i'm assuming red maple).  these are supposed to have vsh genetics so i'm wondering if that has anything to do with that has something to do with the early drones.
anyway, my hives all have a pretty good amount of brood (3 to 4 deep frames solid capped) but i haven't noticed any drone cells.  so, what are all the other coastal plains and fall line beekeepers seeing right now? 

Red Maple pollen is grey brown
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source)

Do you have Hen Bit in the area ???


                  BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: 10framer on January 31, 2013, 09:47:48 am
jim it was coming in red well north of me.  i've never seen pollen this color before and i really don't know what they have i that part of georgia. 
i can tell you that my bees have been bringing in some bright yellow pollen i've never seen before.  when i first saw it i had to get my glasses because i didn't think it was pollen.  i was worried it was a brood disease i'd never seen before.
most of what me bees are bringing in is yellow/grey.  i'm about a mile from a very big creek/swamp bottom so i expect maple and tulip poplar and i'm hoping there is plenty of sumac around. 
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: Jim134 on February 01, 2013, 09:39:29 am
10framer........

Henbit is one word not 2 Hen Bit This is the right time of year for Henbit in the south
(end of Dec. to and end of Feb.) and Henbit pollen look like RED lipstick to me.
You will find a lots of Henbit growing in lasts years row corp fields.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamium_amplexicaule (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamium_amplexicaule)

http://www.learn2grow.com/problemsolvers/weeds/preventioncontrol/BitingBackAtHenbit.aspx (http://www.learn2grow.com/problemsolvers/weeds/preventioncontrol/BitingBackAtHenbit.aspx)


           BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Title: Re: what are you seeing?
Post by: 10framer on February 01, 2013, 09:59:30 am
i'm betting the henbit is growing in every yard and any un-grazed pasture in the area.  i grew up in the sand hills of alabama and we always had it and i'm pretty much in the sand hills of georgia now.
i never knew what the name was but i do remember bees loving it.  i think holly should be coming in pretty soon too. 
i'm really excited to see what's in the area as this year goes by.  my plan was to just do as many splits as possible and raise my own queens this year but as i look around the area i may actually get to harvest a little too.
that's based on the assumption that the bees find all the things i'm finding.