June the Golden Month for Beekeeping in NY? ….or not, in 2019 Historically June in New York State is the month for increase, settling in swarms, growing colonies, raising queens, making splits, stacking supers, but June 2019 is presenting many challenges, due to the cool damp weather, with repercussions now and perhaps into next year. In some regions many hives have not progressed, and have been stressed by the weather conditions that have caused a poor to fair nectar flow and reduced flying weather. Black Locust flow was a “wash-out” for many areas, but did well in places like Long Island. Weather stress on the bees renders them susceptible to various ailments. Queens may have been poorly mated. More frequent hive inspections and observations will be required this year: is the queen laying well, do all brood stages look healthy, is there enough stored nectar and honey? This may prove to be a challenging year for beginning beekeepers. Hopefully, the summer weather will stabilize in a week or so, the bees can rebound, and take advantage of the blooms that benefit from the excess soil moisture. If unsure of brood health or have “weird brood” that isn’t pearly white, send a sample to Beltsville. Unfortunately there has been a production stoppage for the manufacture of the Vita AFB & EFB test kits, and supply may not resume for a few weeks. |