# Signs of a dearth



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

Place a small plate of syrup or honey on top of the colony and if the bees mob it, there is no better game in town. If there is a flow on, the syrup won't attract much attention unless you put a feeding stimulant in it which negates the test.


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## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Thanks for the tip Vance , easy enough to take up some syrup when I go up to check on them . Do they tend to get a little more aggressive when in a dearth , seems like you guys that have been doing this for awhile kind of know when there is a dearth, anything else to look for .


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## Mike Gillmore (Feb 25, 2006)

The bees do get a bit more defensive when in a dearth. You might notice an otherwise gentle hive will appear more feisty than usual when doing an inspection.

You might also see that robbing can be initiated in a heartbeat. If you are in a dearth and inspecting a hive, you will find that if you break open some cappings on a frame and expose honey there will be bees all over it very quickly. You can't leave anything out very long, it will become a robbing frenzy before you know it.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

What Mr. GIlmore said.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

The dearth at every summer has a pattern. When you see no flowers producing pollen and nectar and the green grass turn to brown then these are the signals. After the initial Spring flow then the dearth will follow. It usually happens from July to Sept. when no bee plants are blooming. Also, on hive inspection you will see no stored nectar or honey on the frames. The bees had used up the last drop of nectar/honey to raise their broods with. Now is the time to do an inside hive baggie feed with an empty box over it. You can also do open feeding but at a far far away location from the hives. If you want to continue with the brood raising then give them a piece of small patty on top of the frames. Or do a pollen sub. open feeding 200' away from the hive area. Then waiting....for the Fall flow if there is any. Every bee location is different so observe your forage areas while paying attention to the things that bloom on every month thru out the year will give you an idea in general. Every time there is no resources coming in then it is consider to be in a dearth. Some bee breeds will usually shut down during a dearth. And some may even cannibalized on the young larvae to help the older about to be capped one to survive. So you may not see much larvae or capped broods either. They recycle when resources are scarce during a dearth. There may not bee much outside activity also because in a 3 mi. radius there is nothing to forage on. So they tend to stay in more to conserve their energy waiting for the good bloom again.


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

I also do weekly weight checks with a hanging scale, this has the added advantage of letting you see the strength of the flow.


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## MattDavey (Dec 16, 2011)

I usually see the bees eating the fruit on my fruit trees.

Yes bees do eat apples!


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## ChuckReburn (Dec 17, 2013)

In Texas the pavement melting is a good indication of summer dearth. 

Pay attention to your forage - for me when the Indian Blanket flowers start to fade, I know it's coming. And then as said when I break open cappings on an inspection, it's obvious. Early nucs, I start with robber screens until I see bloom coming on strong or nectar splashing in the big hives.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

ChuckReburn said:


> In Texas the pavement melting is a good indication of summer dearth.
> 
> Pay attention to your forage - for me when the Indian Blanket flowers start to fade, I know it's coming.


Something I have not figured out yet is the signs of dreath untill all heck is breaking loose. 
As I Texas, I understand the first clue. Your second one, darn, that is early. Will watch more closely and take notes.


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## marshmasterpat (Jun 26, 2013)

opps double post


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

We have a dearth pretty much every July and August. When the thistle starts browning off and the horsemint is done it's dearth time. Even the mesquites are pretty much done by then east of I-35. Sometimes we get a soybean flow if the farmer puts in a late crop. September is when our fall flow can start if we get a little rain. Sometimes a hurricane outflow will get us going. September, October, and up to around Thanksgiving can be a substantial flow in northeast Texas off of golden rod and aster.


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## ChuckReburn (Dec 17, 2013)

If the horsemint is done, no question we're in a dearth - of course it adds a bit of a "twang" to the honey so I try to pull supers before that's the only thing going. 

Our fall flow starts September as well, kinnikinnick (evergreen sumac) is the good source at the home apiary - the girls will pass over be bee balm to go after it. Last year, I had a 4th generation beekeeper evaluate fall forage with me - when I mentioned golden rod being significant in my area, he looked at me like I was nuts (so much for the books...).


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## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

You can also see it at the entrances of any hive, even the strong ones. 
Robber bees trying to gain access. Some will hover testing the guard bees over and over, a mid-air fight here and there. This will increase with the dearth, and cease with a flow.


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## WWW (Feb 6, 2011)

Ross said:


> We have a dearth pretty much every July and August. When the thistle starts browning off and the horsemint is done it's dearth time.


I agree, it helps to understand the flow and dearth times in your area, here in southern Ohio the time of dearth is July and August as well.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I love horsemint honey. Great citrus or minty flavor. My customers always ask what I put in the honey. Most have never tasted anything but SueBee. 

My bees will ignor golden rod once the aster gets going. My home place is 10 acres of solid calico aster in the fall and the bees go nuts on it. Always fun to open a hive in February and see those frames of black honey sitting there ready to feed the spring build up.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

I order some solid calico aster seeds from ebay. The seller did not gave me much only
about 10 teeny tiny seeds. They are expensive too. Not sure if they will sprout either.
Would be nice to have access to some of those nice seeds too. Do you collect any seeds?


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## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Ross do you take any of the goldenrod - aster honey or leave it for the bee's to overwinter on .I have noticed my goldenrod honey crystalizes pretty fast and I have to wait until late October to get it and then I'm behind trying to get the hives ready for winter .The G. R. honey is very good here and if there wasn't much of a spring flow its nice to get some , but I wonder if customers would rather not deal with the crystallization issues.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I usually leave it for the bees. That's as much because I'm lazy as anything else. I should have extracted twice this year as my bees were on late soybeans, but I never got around to it. Some years there isn't a fall flow if we're in a major drought, but most years fall is pretty good. 

I haven't collected seeds in the past, but I might give it a try this fall if I have time. I'll have to watch and see what the timing looks like. It's usually a fine line between letting the seeds mature and having the shatter and self sow.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)




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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Mine, lots of ladies without any productive work there. I'm sure
a field or 2 of buckwheat will take care of that.


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

The photo above reminded me of a sure sign of dearth. Washboarding above the entry is a good sign. Some on here call it line dancing. When the flow trails off, the foragers have little to do. They spend some time out front cleaning up the pollen grains left by sticky feet. They waste nothing.

Another sign is the stoppage of wax making. When ever the incoming nectar falls below liquid feed requirements, wax making is suspended. That is generally before there is NO nectar coming in, but the trail-off is in progress.

Walt


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