Perth (WA, AU) Flowhives and honey flow

Yes, she’s a ripper, well done!!!

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Right hand edge of the area of brood. Nice-looking queen. :wink:

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I was thinking that as the marri is flowering quite well here now, better late than never, that I would still get a harvest this season. Until I went into the hives yesterday… Obviously smokeless, the moment I opened the box I had bees in my face. Once I pulled a frame I was mobbed. The cupboards were bare. I spent less than 5 minutes in each hive which was 4 minutes too long. I was followed some distance from the hives and even had to swat one persistent bee…I have done smokeless inspections before and have found it hit and miss.
2 colonys had no honey stores whatsoever and these were the nastiest. There didn’t appear to be signs of robbing but they weren’t happy for sure. I have checked these in the past and with stores they were OK.
This area it seems the marri is all talk this season unfortunately other gums are going to flower shortly including the swamp and lemon gums so this will hopefully rebuild their personal stores.

Still waiting in Bridgetown Western Australia. This time last year had 40Kgs. Opened up last week and, nothing. Still hoping!

It seems the trees the black cockatoos prune seem to flower best.

I inspected my hives yesterday and the long hive I did without smoke, the flow hive I smoked up but they were relatively calm when I took the flow super off to check on the new queen, she made it out alive and I pulled a couple of the centre frames from both hives and everything looked good. I didn’t spend any time looking for her as I was more worried about starting a robbing war again.

The long hive is still building up with plenty of brood and some grubs sighted.

Lots of lovely Marri pollen going into the hives and my Marri’s are starting to flower, right on time.
I should get another harvest out of the flow hive this year and the long hive will be in a good position to add flow frames in spring.

Camera’s up and running.

3 on the long hive and one on my flow hive.

I may change the flow hive cam over to the front of the long hive eventually.

Now the hard part… streaming

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Has anyone seen bees collecting from the sap of a red gum tree, sharing with ants? I have a video but are unable to download.

No. Would not have picked red gum from the Marri to be on the bees menu

Nope but I know that our Noongar brothers and sisters used the gum for medicinal purposes so perhaps there’s something in that.
Are the red gums flowering yet down that way yet?

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They maybe taking it for propolis. I see bees one pencil pines at different times of the year collecting resin.

Adam

No the red gums aren’t flowering but lots of new growth with blossom coming & same for the jarrah, fingers crossed. It was very bizarre seeing the bees getting the sap especially when there’s heaps of meat ants around, their wings were going very fast :honeybee:

I was down in Brunswick last week and it seemed the marri was flowering to Australind, slowly creeping down south.
Later flowering this year than last but there is a flow on finally, seems my thoughts of doom and gloom no flow was premature. The flowering cycle is as unpredictable as bees are!
I’m glad I had honey frames from last seasons hybrids to feed the bees with during the extended dearth I’ve just experienced up here in my area on the scarp.
Having multiple different colonys it’s been interesting to see how they manage their stores differently.
The hives with a permanently added WSP box coped better than those without, no surprise really as the smaller sized box is predominantly pantry. This mitigates the brood arc in the Flow super issue.:wink:
I think we will be seeing swarms again soon.

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Is your WSP box under or above the flow super?

No. Have seen an other couple in flower towards town but
hives are being “maintained” by other trees and shrubs.
Unless something happens soon the honey season is over.

WSP below the Flow super. RBK suggested it as an insurance policy during dearths. It was suggested adding it and moving the qx above it wintertime and below summertime but I just leave it above and view it a an extra brood box. Only the middle 4 frames get brood and it hasn’t gone more than half way up the centre 2 frames. I will remove the outside frames and harvest the honey but more for adding new frames during swarm season to give the bees more work.
@busso, I think you’ll find the marri will flower, just later in the season as it has here. The issue will be whether rains wash the nectar out. But fingers crossed for you guys anyway.
Jarrah and other gum trees have buds around here also.

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Just got back to Perth from Bridgetown (Western Australia). The further north you drive along Forrest Hwy, the more flowers. Still nothing at B’town though! Have fed FH 1 with front feeder. Doesn’t fit front entry on FH2. Bought a top feeder but it doesn’t fit under roof gable. Any suggestions as unless something changes, may be feeding this winter! Some of the deciduous trees are already starting to colour!

Hiya Jim, I noticed the way it’s creeping down south too. I marked it at Australind and will see where it’s at later this month. January the only flowers were the red ones on the shrubs in the nature strip between the freeway.
You can put a spare super in top of the crown board with the pail in that. I just made a box out of an old board that was kicking around and use that with the hive lid. I use a 1kg honey bucket as a pail. Easy to lift the lid of the hive and see how much liquid is left. I’ve only had to feed a couple of colonys this season, the newer ones, they were feeling light. They are also the only 1 brood box colonys I have. Once they strengthen I’ll add a wsp to them like the others. I only add the second box because of the dearth I get in the area and it works for me, I don’t like having to feed.
Possibly like you I rely on the native flora and I’m realising it’s not so predictable.

Jack at Beewise has:

CERACELL TOP FEEDERS

The new Ceracell Top Feeder with 5 feeding points out performs outdated single chimney feeders, as they offer better bees access. When feeding the bees in a top feeder with only a centre chimney cap there is always half a litre that the bees can’t get to; now with the Ceracell patented protected corner system bees have access to all the syrup you feed them, even when the hive is on a slight slope.
Made from food polypropylene, the 8-Frame Top Feeders have a capacity of 7.5L while the 10-Frame Top

Feeders have a generous capacity of 8.5L.

  • 8-Frame $34.00
  • 10-Frame $36.50

Both come with first quality NZ grown and milled pine rims, treated with Lanogard (no painting necessary).

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I still prefer to use a rapid feeder. I’m able to put it on and off using a hole in the cover board. The Ceracell type feeders, and others, to put on and off the hive you need to expose the frames below.

The smaller rapid feeders 1l are perfect for the flow hive as you can slide them on moving the cover you’ve placed over the hive. Feed in small lots and then slide off after feeding replacing the cover (screened or solid).

Adam