Tall Goldenrod

Tall Goldenrod

I’m sure you have noticed Goldenrod in full bloom. This is a crucial time for the bees to make their final preparations for winter. I see colonies preparing themselves for winter by replacing the brood in the upper box with fresh nectar (“green honey”). Hopefully they will have time to ripen and cap it before the weather is too cold. As the brood matures and hatches out in the top of the hive, cells should be left vacant for only a short period before the bees fill them with nectar. The queen normally moves her egg laying to the lower section of the hive during this time. I have noticed bees using the lower deep much more readily if I close off the screened bottom board by inserting the mite board, and now is the time to do that if you are using screened bottom boards. The weather has been a bit too cool and cloudy for the bees to make maximum use of the goldenrod flow so far, but the next few days are looking better. Hope you have a good goldenrod field nearby!