There are useful inspection opportunities at first in Wales, south-west, south-east, north-west and north-east England, East Anglia and the Midlands, although conditions become less helpful in several areas later.

Forage is the bigger concern. Practical forage access is restricted across the UK, with wind repeatedly making exposed flowers harder for bees to work in much of the country. Recent dry weather is also reducing nectar reward in Wales, south-west, south-east, north-west and north-east England, East Anglia and the Midlands.

Stores pressure is already a concern in south-east England, south-west Scotland and the Highlands, so colony weight and recent intake are worth checking rather than judging the colony only by flight activity.

Tuesday is the day that stands out in Wales, north-west and north-east England, north-east Scotland and the Highlands. Nectar collection falls to very low levels, with the Highlands reaching effectively no usable collection around Tuesday, before improving somewhat on Wednesday.

Does dry weather reduce nectar production?

Yes. Prolonged dry weather can reduce the amount of nectar flowers produce, even while plenty of flowers remain in bloom. Bees may still be flying and visiting them, but the reward from each visit can be lower.

That is why a busy hive entrance can sometimes be misleading. When the weather has been dry, colony weight, stores and what is actually coming back into the hive can tell you more than bee traffic alone.

In this episode

We look at weakening nectar collection and what it could mean for autumn stores, the particularly poor spell around Tuesday and where inspection opportunities become harder to find later in the period.

About Apiary Forecast

Apiary Forecast gives you local inspection, forage, stores and queen-mating guidance for your own saved apiaries. There’s a two-week free trial, and the current Founder Offer is £25 a year rather than £35; UK beekeeping associations can also contact us for a member discount code.