I have been super stressed lately about the lack of rain this year, which is both unlike me and I’ve found that people have just not shared in my concern. I had been having a hard time explaining why exactly I am so unnerved until speaking with an employee at Backwoods Bees, in Windham. “If there’s no rain, there’s no nectar flow...and if there’s no nectar flow, there’s no honey”.

Now there’s certainly nothing I can do about the weather, and this is New England...I’d like to! And while I don’t envision our hives producing excess honey during a drought, there is a course of action to keep our bees strong and healthy.

First things first, we have to feed our hives. I currently have feeders inside wooden boxes (or supers) that can go straight on top of the hives with 1:1 sugar syrup inside to keep the colonies both well nourished and hydrated.

Next, it’s time to narrow the entrance reducers of my hives...especially the weaker hives that might now have a population that can’t protect such a wide opening. During a nectar flow everyone is fat and happy, but during a drought or dearth it’s another story. Because bees have only a limited time to collect all the resources they can for the upcoming winter they will rob other hives to make sure they’re still collecting resources. Some of you may remember that our first season a hive absconded after being robbed over a long period of time.

And then, we wait (not my strong suit, in case you didn’t know). Today’s forecast called for thunderstorms starting at 10a. At 12:30 they’ve been pushed back to 3. Looks like it’s time to get back to praying and hoping...for the sake of the bees, I hope you’ll join me.

~ Chris, The Boxing Beekeeper