1. My 2 year old blueberries will freeze (so I covered them, hence the ghostly looking sheets on my lawn). Walter Reeves says that is what to do - and he knows Georgia gardening best.
2. The tulip poplar just started blooming today. It's a great source of delicious dark molasses-like honey. In Atlanta, it's our best honey flow. What will happen to the nectar with two nights in a row of freezing weather? On this web page the author indicates that late spring frost can have a very deleterious affect on the leaves but doesn't mention the blossoms.
3. Because of the tulip poplar flow, ordinarily I would put on supers tomorrow to allow the bees to store this incredible honey. However, adding an empty super when it's this cold for the next two nights adds to the challenge for the bees of keeping warm, so I'll probably super on Sunday or Monday rather than tomorrow.
The hives are full of capped brood and brood in all stages of early development. It will be a challenge for the bees to keep a large area warm, unlike in winter when the numbers have dwindled. Adding a super adds empty space to add to the area that will be cold in the hive. The bees don't keep the hive warm, rather they keep their cluster warm, but the current tight space they have keeps the warmth in better.
Linda, I hope the weather improves and gets warmer for you and the bees. It is autumn here, my favourite season, my bees are still flying each day as there is quite a number of flowering plants around, i`m not sure about the nectar content, but they are bringing pollen home.
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