Oscar Wilde said: When life gives you lemons; make lemonade? I know its intent but I also know my own immediate reaction is: when life gives you lemons; rejoice you have lemons!
This past week when the temperatures shot above 35°C, Victorians moaned and groaned and then rolled over and moaned and groaned some more. When life gives a beekeeper heat then it’s time to look for blackberry blossoms and anticipate that much-needed nectar flow. For several years the late weeks of June into July have been cold and bees have not found the nectar they so want to find. I truly believe the extra heat this year was enough to trigger the surge in blackberry nectar before all the blossoms had finished. The heat was just what the plants needed and rather than having to supplement feeding the bees with sugar, we were able to collect additional frames of honey. Woohoo!
For those who have patiently been waiting for July and the fireweed at higher elevations, the time has come to ready your hives. The yard is accessible now for those who have paid for their spots. Watch for updates from Brad about Outyard etiquette and don’t forget to treat your hives for mites before they are placed next to other hives. We all want our hives to come home strong and ready to last through the winter.
The other good news is that we can gather as a club outside for our July meeting on Thursday July 8th at 6:30pm. Join us at the picnic shelter at the south end of Elk/Beaver Lake. You can get to the parking lot by turning off West Saanich Road onto Beaver Lake Road or you can enter from Elk Lake Drive and again turn onto Beaver Lake Road.