Unfriendly Honey Weather
The recent trend of a little bit of rain almost everyday is not good for the health of the bees. It keeps the bees from flying and washes away the pollen. It took me quite a few days to realize that Antheia might need to be fed. A quick lift of the back of the hive and it was disturbingly light. I immediately brewed up a fresh batch of 3:2 sugar water for them and have been feeding a quart almost every day. Their feeding pace has been rapidly increasing from when I first started feeding. The hive feels heavier and there are now more bees bearding on the front.
Hegemone has had a constant beard from the top entrance and the nightly gathering on the bottom entrance. To prevent them from (easily) robbing their sister hive, I’ve made sure Hegemone is fed too. Despite having significantly more bees, the hive is taking in less of the sugar water. I hope they’re not depleting the honey they stockpiled during the flow. I still hope to harvest at least a frame of capped honey this year. The hives owe me back rent.