May 2020 Update

Without a doubt, I think everyone would say it’s been an interesting year, and honey bees are no exception. We had a moderately warm winter, which caused honey bees to be more active and consume more stores. This left many running on empty in March. Our spring has been somewhat cool with plenty of rain. While rain is an essential component for nectar, it also prevents honey bees from foraging on rainy days. Too many rainy days can also cause health issues for honey bees as well. Best I can tell, my hives have been able to cope well, but the traditional spring build-up of honey bees has been slow, as has been the collection of nectar. I’m still hopeful for a June harvest, but time will tell.