# Determining Nectar Flow



## east_stingray (Feb 8, 2005)

I was wondering what the best way to determine nectar flow is. Is it just to observe? Ask a local beekeeper? I live in central IL and I'm not really sure when exactly our peak flow is.


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## Todd Zeiner (Jun 15, 2004)

Based on my observations, the bees will be flying like crazy in and out of the hive in a "beeline" to wherever the nectar is. They will pay no attention to you as you approach the hive. Here in central Indiana it is mid June to mid July. That seems to vary to some degree based on rain/or sunshine amounts. If you have strong hives, the flow will be fairly obvious.


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## Jim Fischer (Jan 5, 2001)

Hive weight is the sure-fire way. When the bees
start bringing in nectar (which is mostly water)
the weight of the hive goes up by at least
several pounds per day. 

Another way would be one of those "bee counters"
that count bee entrances and exits with a beam of
light. These are expensive, and as they tend to
allow one bee at a time to enter or exit the
hive, they can be a real impediment to optimal
production. A strong hive can easily launch
about 200 sorties per minute even on a "boring"
day.

As far as "what they are bringing in", one must
be aware of what is blooming that you can see,
and infer from that what else is likely to be
blooming at the same time. One can try to
analyze the pollen being brought in, but bees
will often collect pollen from one floral source
while they are bringing in nectar from another.

Time of day also matters. Some plants only
produce nectar in the AM, some in the PM. Some
only do so after a rainstorm.

Its a complicated subject - bees will always
be foraging upon multiple sources at the same
time, as they always want to "hedge their bets".
Tom Seeley's book "The Wisdom Of The Hive" goes
into this in great detail, and is an excellent
education on this subject.


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## east_stingray (Feb 8, 2005)

That's a lot of good information, but it all deals with direct observation of the flow. Everything I'm reading about comb honey says you need to start getting ready and feeding for brood 2 or so weeks BEFORE the flow. For this reason, I was hoping someone would help me determine the USUAL flow for my area so I could head it off.


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## beesandy (Jul 15, 2004)

east_stingray where in central IL. do you live


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Everything I'm reading about comb honey says you need to start getting ready and feeding for brood 2 or so weeks BEFORE the flow.

That is true. The only way to find that out is ask someone who lives there and knows.


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## east_stingray (Feb 8, 2005)

beesandy,
I live in a small town relatively close to Peoria. It's called Eureka.


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## beesandy (Jul 15, 2004)

east_stingray, I live about 50 miles N.E. in Streator. This is my 3rd year keeping bees, dont know that much about what tree or plant puts out pollen or nector when it does, guess I should learn more about that side of beekeeping. What I have done is watch for pollen being brought in, when I see this I usually start feeding sugar water 1/1. Also looked at pollen.com this looks like it might be useful.


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## east_stingray (Feb 8, 2005)

Thanks for the advice beesandy. I know where streator is. Being a pilot, I fly up that way a lot. Let me know if there's ever anything I can help with.


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## Curry (Sep 22, 2003)

>I was wondering what the best way to determine nectar flow is.

Where I live there is a nectar flow from now 'til about August. The AMOUNT of nectar flow, however, varies quite a bit. Our major nectar flow occurs in May-June, but I think the best way to determine ANY amount of nectar flow is to smell downwind of a hive. As the bees dry the nectar into honey, they fan their wings and the moisture goes into the air- and it is a noticeable smell. I noticed a faint smell of nectar drying today... so I know something out there is producing a small amount of nectar (probably red maple).


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## east_stingray (Feb 8, 2005)

I can't imagine that they're bringing anything in now. The temp has been varying between 30's and 40's lately. We're still in the grasp of winter here.


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## BULLSEYE BILL (Oct 2, 2002)

>Everything I'm reading about comb honey says you need to start getting ready and feeding for brood 2 or so weeks BEFORE the flow.

It takes 40 days to raise a forraging aged bee. You need to start your brooding about six weeks before your flow begins. That would be about mid March here in Kansas.

You being in... hey, fill in your profile! I would start by end of March if I were you.


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## Antero (Jan 9, 2005)

A bee is basically a "house" bee or "nurse" bee for almost the first 3 weeks of its life and
only functions as a forager during the final three weeks of its life. From the day that the queen lays a worker bee egg until that worker becomes a foraging bee is 40 days, 21 days gestation and about19 days as a "house" bee.

Terry


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## Jim Fischer (Jan 5, 2001)

> You need to start your brooding about six weeks 
> before your flow begins.

One can never be too rich, too thin, or too
early in getting those pollen patties and
feeders on colonies in the early spring.

Here's a photo of me, taking pollen patties
out to one of my poorer yard choices after
finding that the road was impassible due to
excessive snow.

http://bee-quick.com/cevasse.jpg

Yes, we will do anything for Sourwood honey.


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

Good one Jim!
You started my day with a laugh.

Dickm


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

That is pretty early. When the snow is like that here, I wait.


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## east_stingray (Feb 8, 2005)

I have a rope tied between the back door and the beehive so that I can find it to feed them when the blizzards hit.


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## Jack Grimshaw (Feb 10, 2001)

Jim, And I bet you use that same ladder to remove your supers.


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## Jim Fischer (Jan 5, 2001)

> Jim, And I bet you use that same ladder 
> to remove your supers.

Naw, I'm lazy - we use a Chinook!








http://tri.army.mil/LC/CS/csa/ch47002.jpg


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

HEY,Hey,Man you ain't right,HAHA.>>>Mark


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