Bee Activity – June 24th

Posted by Jon on Jun 25, 2010 in Bee behaviour, Beekeeping | 2 comments

Finally, the summer seems to have started here so I took some time yesterday to watch the hives in action and check up on the bees entering and leaving. As we don’t treat our bees in any way and try to interfere as little as possible, watching the activity in and out is a crucial indicator of the health of the hive.

Bee Food – early June

Posted by Jon on Jun 12, 2010 in Bee behaviour, Beekeeping | 0 comments

One of the enjoyable jobs of an apiarist is to watch where the bees are gathering their food from – this gives us a good indication of the type of honey to expect at honey harvesting time and allows us to check that there is enough food (honey flow) around.

Bees collect both nectar and pollen from flowers, in return fertilizing them. Nectar contains sugars that are the principle source of energy for the bees whilst the pollen provides the protein and trace minerals that are mostly fed to the brood. If nectar is in short supply then beekeepers need to consider whether they should provide additional feed.