The Apiary Forecast

John Richardson
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What does the weather actually mean for your bees? The Apiary Forecast looks at UK bee weather through a beekeeping lens, covering inspection opportunities, forage access, nectar conditions, stores pressure, swarm weather and queen mating. Practical weather guidance for beekeepers, wherever you are in the UK.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    UK Bee Weather: Low nectar is putting pressure on stores

    Workable inspection weather, but low nectar is putting pressure on stores Forecast period: 11 to 15 August 2026 For 11 to 15 August 2026, there are useful inspection opportunities across much of the UK. Forage is the bigger concern. Wind is limiting how effectively bees can work exposed flowers across much of the UK. Recent dry weather is reducing nectar reward across the UK. Later in the period, wales, north-west and north-east England, and central Scotland are worth watching particularly closely, with forage weakening and stores pressure beginning to rise. Inspection weather becomes less useful in Northern Ireland and much of Scotland as cool conditions and wind become more limiting. Forage also improves in north-east Scotland and in the Highlands. How can I tell whether colonies are under stores pressure? A forecast stores signal is a prompt to check the colony, not an automatic instruction to feed as you also need to keep space for brood. Hefting or weighing, looking at recent intake and judging the amount of usable stores helps. Pressure can build quickly when poor forage lasts for several days, particularly later in summer when a busy colony may still be using stores heavily. 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.

  2. 4d ago

    UK Bee Weather: Forage remains the weak point

    Workable inspection weather, but forage remains the weak point Forecast period: 9 to 13 August 2026 For 9 to 13 August 2026, there are useful inspection opportunities in much of England and Wales, while inspection is more restricted in north-east England, Northern Ireland, and much of Scotland, mainly because showers and wind are squeezing the daytime opportunity. Forage is the bigger concern. Wind is limiting how effectively bees can work exposed flowers across the UK. Recent dry weather is reducing nectar reward across much of the UK. Showers add another problem in north-east England, Northern Ireland, and central Scotland and the Highlands by interrupting the time bees can actually forage. Later in the period, south-west and north-west England, and Wales are worth watching particularly closely, with forage weakening and stores pressure beginning to rise. North-east England and south-west Scotland look more encouraging, with better inspection opportunities and an improving forage picture. Inspection weather becomes less useful in north-east Scotland and the Highlands as the better conditions fall at less useful times of day. 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. 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. Website: https://apiaryforecast.com/ The Apiary Forecast provides general beekeeping information and decision-support. Weather and local conditions can change, and podcast content is not a substitute for direct colony observation, beekeeper judgement or appropriate professional advice. © 2026 John Richardson / Cyberspace::UK. The Apiary Forecast podcast. All rights reserved.

  3. Aug 6

    UK Bee Weather: Stores Pressure Becomes the Main Concern

    Forecast period: 6 to 10 August 2026 Welcome to the first episode of The Apiary Forecast, UK Bee Weather. John Richardson looks at what the developing UK weather pattern may mean for inspections, forage access, swarm-weather suitability and colony stores. The main contrast this week is that some beekeepers may find a workable opportunity to inspect, while bees have a much less encouraging chance of bringing useful forage home. Wind is making exposed flowers harder to work, and dry conditions are reducing the nectar reward in several regions. Visible flight at the hive entrance doesn’t necessarily mean a strong nectar flow. Bees may still be active while the amount coming home remains disappointing. In this episode Where workable inspection opportunities may appear Why wind can restrict bees even when they’re still flying How dry conditions may reduce nectar reward Why bee activity doesn’t prove useful intake Where weather could support a prepared swarm issuing How the regional picture changes later in the forecast period Why rising stores pressure matters in late summer What to look for before deciding whether feeding is needed Regional outlook Today, workable inspection opportunities appear across south-west and south-east England, East Anglia, the Midlands, Wales, central Scotland and the Highlands. Conditions are more marginal in north-west England, north-east England, Northern Ireland, south-west Scotland and north-east Scotland. Later in the period: Inspection conditions improve in north-west England, north-east England and Northern Ireland. Inspection conditions become less useful in the Highlands. The forage picture improves in north-east England. Forage weakens in south-west England, East Anglia, north-west England, north-east Scotland and the Highlands. Stores pressure rises in south-west England, East Anglia, north-west England and north-east England. Practical takeaway We’re moving into late summer, so use a suitable inspection window for a clear reason. Queenrightness, colony condition and stores are becoming increasingly important. Rising stores pressure is a prompt to check colony weight, local intake and the direction of travel. It isn’t an automatic instruction to feed every colony. About Apiary Forecast Apiary Forecast provides hyper-local weather forecasts through a beekeeping lens, with 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 instead of £35. UK beekeeping associations can also contact Apiary Forecast for a member discount code. Website: https://apiaryforecast.com/ The Apiary Forecast provides general beekeeping information and decision-support. Weather and local conditions can change, and podcast content is not a substitute for direct colony observation, beekeeper judgement or appropriate professional advice. © 2026 John Richardson / Cyberspace::UK. The Apiary Forecast podcast. All rights reserved.

  • 3 Episodes

About

What does the weather actually mean for your bees? The Apiary Forecast looks at UK bee weather through a beekeeping lens, covering inspection opportunities, forage access, nectar conditions, stores pressure, swarm weather and queen mating. Practical weather guidance for beekeepers, wherever you are in the UK.

Information

  • Creator
    John Richardson
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    Copyright © John Richardson
  • Show Website
    The Apiary Forecast