I wonder how much rain you got last night/today, if any. How hot/cold is it? How are the bees coping in this weather? How accurate is the weather forecast?
Well today in Buderim 17-1-2020, 5:13am it’s 23degC. The forecast is a 90% chance of 6-20 mils of rain & max temp of 29C.
Ahoy there Jeff - it’s very windy here in suburban Philadelphia area today, and getting cloudy. We had a good amount of rain last night, and the unseasonably warm temps of upper 50s and 60s are moving out. As of tonight it looks like we’ll go back to the more typical 30 degree daytimes and teens at night, with snow in the forecast on Saturday. Who knows if we’ll actually get any. We hardly do these days.
On the recent warm days my bees have been active, and getting their fill of some burr comb honey and moistened sugar I’ve put out on a paper plate for them. The erratic warm & cold spells have me concerned that they could go through stores more quickly and even start raising brood early, with nothing to forage on for awhile. I have pollen patties ready & and will keep putting sugar out on the random warm days as they come.
Tagged -41C with a windchill of -53C here last night…a good portion of Canada and US is in the deep freeze.
Cozy inside the beehouse at +4C.
pretty much the same as Jeff here, we had 15mm yesterday.
lots more last night but i havnt been out to check this morning.
Doug you gotta be joking, cosy inside at +4C NOPE NO WAY lol
Hi Eva, I wonder if the groundhog will predict an early spring this year 
Hi @redlinexx Brett, we had similar. All I want is a decent downpour because, for some reason it drives the dragonfruit into heavy bud.
I could cope with 4C no problems at all, especially while it’s -53C wind chill outside. I love that photo @Doug1
cheers
The past two days I have recorded 30mm of rain each day and still the odd showers today, great to see it so wide spread. It has to be good for the environment, bees and to help with the bush fires. The cool weather change is a real blessing to so that the rain can soak into the soil and not just evaporate. 10:30 am and only 28c here.
Cheers
Hi Pete, a nice shower just went over us. I’m seeing some new buds on my dragonfruit, I’m hoping for more. A couple of Pied Butcher Birds sat out the back singing as loud as possible during the rain.
Peter, on the subject of how long we’ve known each other: Your profile says you joined on the 1st of April '18, which surprised me. I thought it was longer. Your first message, ordering the bees was slightly after that.
Anyway that’s immaterial, I’m sure you’re beside yourself with excitement over this rain. And apparently there’s more coming!!!
cheers
It was after meeting you that you put me onto the forum when I got the 2nd pair of nucs after then from my memory. I would be thinking I had been on the forum longer but I recall I spent some time reading before I joined in.
No worries cousin and that we tend to agree with our bee keeping makes me feel I’m on the right track. 
Cheers
Thank you Pete, for some reason I recently looked it up & got a shock. It’s still on record your first PM requesting bees. Anyway we don’t want the years to pass that quickly.
cheers
From memory that would have been the second nuc I got from you and when I got the first one you mentioned the forum to me. The first one was from someone giving me your phone number who had bought from you. Maybe someone at the Yandina bee group but too far back to be sure.
I certainly remember the first hives I bought up here from a guy out along the Maroochy River when I opened them for the first inspection my jaw dropped open at the number of SHB I had bought. It was lousy with them in every hive.
Off to dinner tonight, Dawn has asked me to take her out and she has some photos she wants to give to me that she has.
Cheers
Hi Pete, “Let’s talk about the weather” alright. Did you get that storm with rain during the night? We got around 150 mills. My rain gauge is inactive at the moment due to a dragonfruit plant growing over it, however it would have overflowed. It goes to 120. I had 2 empty buckets sitting on the lawn that had 160 mils each.
Another highlight of my night was 2 young rats in my live rat trap. The first ones I’ve seen for quite a few months.
I got home in total darkness with a power transformer in the street having ‘blown up’. My gauge measured 120mm so that is more like our Summer rains eh? Over an hours drive for the 15K up the motorway with lots of cars stopped because of the rain, I stopped twice as my wipers couldn’t cope, but so nice to sit and hear the rain on the car roof…
I wonder if rats can control their breeding when there is poor conditions, I guess so, I remember the mouse plagues at Mudgee when it was grazing country.
It IS nice Pete.
I guess rats do control their breeding during poor conditions. I think rabbits do the same. Look at bees, they are classic examples of controlling their breeding during poor conditions.
These rats moved into my honey room, I could hear them shuffling around while I was in there yesterday afternoon. I could hear more a little while ago. So I’m thinking I’ll catch more tonight. This is the first season they left my sweet corn alone for a long time. I don’t want them around because they love sweet potatoes as well as they eat green pineapples, which I’ve got a few good ones on at the moment. They take so long to grow, it’s a shame to see a large hole in the side of one just before they start to ripen.
I cut these up for the birds which haven’t arrived yet. I thought these little rats were pregnant, however their stomachs were full to the brim with the food I used to lure them. It’s amazing how much food a rat can eat. Mind you, some humans can fit a fair bit in. The name Joey Chestnut comes to mind.
And I just ordered some gyoza for a late dinner 
…just not quite so many
I just had to Google that Eva, not so sure about the video thou with people force feeding themselves. Thanks for my lesson for today thou. 
This is the first time I heard of them Eva. I first looked for a video of the Nathan hot dog eating contest of which Joey Chestnut is the champion. What makes me laugh is how the commentators classify the contest as a major sporting event
mmmmmm yummy Gyoza nummy nummy in my tummy
Let’s talk about the weather again. It’s looks like we’re in for some decent rain in the coming days, according to the weather bureau.
We have a 90% chance of up to 20mils today. A 95% chance of up to 60mils tomorrow. Then an 80% chance of up to 15-30mils for the following 5 days.
I didn’t check my rain gauge today but I’m guessing more than 30 ml today and certainly more to come if the forecast is right.
A drop in temperature makes the humidity bearable but it was too windy to work at the hives today for me. Received my poly hives today so I have assembled them and my bathroom is my paint shop till they are done or the rain stops, my vote is for more rain.
Cheers.
I emptied 190 mils out of a bucket yesterday. Since then only about 6 mils. Today for the first time in a long time they forecast 100% chance of rain, 10-25mil.
