Bearding in the Hot Humid Weather and Buckwheat is Blooming!

These first few days of September have been in the nineties with high humidity. The bees are as busy as ever bringing in massive amounts of pollen and Goldenrod nectar.  My July starts have built up so quickly I've worried about them swarming out of their two deep boxes. I removed two frames of honey and replaced them with  a couple empty frames to give them more space.

Sept 1st, 7:30 pm.  I had a feeling I should drive over and check on my hives. I was glad I did. The hive three deep boxes high has an OTS queen from the beginning of June.  The smaller one bearding facing you in the picture is a hive from a July (OTS) On The Spot Queen.  See Mel Disselkoens website www.mdasplitter.com for more on raising your own queens and the OTS method. 

July start with OTS Queen. I love how they made their stopping point the crack between the two hive boxes, a perfect line.  

Bearding tall and thick on this hive. This hive has a June OTS queen.

On the left side of the box, the bees were wash boarding. A rhythmic almost rocking back and forth behavior that the bees perform.  I think it looks like a great big honeybee line dance when you see it in person.  No one has figured out why they do this, but it has been labeled wash boarding

Hi girls. These are the girls who were "holding on to the ledge" at the crack where the two deep bodies meet, forming a perfect line in their bearding. You can see how layer on top of one another.  

My Buckwheat that I planted is now blooming.  I planted it in between my rows of strawberries and Zinnias. When it is finished, I will till it in as a green manure. They honeybees are enjoying if very much, One beekeeper friend said it should make for some interesting honey, the mixture of goldenrod and buckwheat. 

Honeybee on Buckwheat bloom.

Honeybees on the Buckwheat