Summer is in full swing . Insect populations are detonate , the garden is riotous and beautiful , and the sodbuster ’s markets are copious with unused fruit and vegetables . The innate world feel abundant — and for us , it probably is . But do your bee feel the same way of life ?
Slow times , where ambrosia and pollen counting is dispirited , is called the “ dearth ” in beekeeper talk . This natural menstruation of scarcity is as ominous as it sound , for a heavy and prolonged famine can have serious consequences for your hive . week or even a month or more without lineament nectar flow can imply compromised wellness , decreased population and even death for some hive . commemorate , the honeybee ’s goal for the summertime is to store up as much food for winter as potential — bee always think in the lead . If a shortage hits and the bees ca n’t forage , they must dip into that stored supply , reducing the amount of their wintertime intellectual nourishment .
It ’s of import to note here that dearth are lifelike menstruum of nature ’s nectar flow . With that said , climate change has radically altered the seasons and their predictability in most surface area on Earth . We ’re beginning to experience more extreme drought , prolonged heat energy and intense storms , all of which significantly touch on blossom trees and plant as well as the amount of ambrosia or pollen that they farm .
So what ’s a apiarist to do ?
1. Look for Bee Behavior Changes
First , take in for the signs of the dearth . You might notice your bees behavior alteration : Are they acting foreign ? Buzzing around aimlessly ? Seemingly with no undertaking ? prole and forager bees want to keep busy — theyknowthey have an important task — and if they ’re thrown off by lack of resource , they ’ll keep look for .
2. Check Weight and Stored Honey
Next , check the weight of the hive and numerate the store duringhive review . How many frames of fully capped honey are in the hive ? Is it more or less than it was one workweek ago ? One month ago ? Remember tokeep skilful recordsin a notebook computer or document while you ’re scrutinize , so you’re able to track the weather , any blueprint , and be better able to anticipate what ’s coming .
3. Consider Feeding to Mitigate the Dearth
eventually , do n’t panic . If your bee reckon OK , just keep an eye on them . If they seem to be struggling or come out to have less honey than usual at this meter of year , consider your options . Some beekeeper opt tofeed their beesduring this time . This is a personal choice and one that is talk over often . in person , I prefer to keep some honey place apart for bee during this time . feed honey , rather than sugar water , serves two purposes : It gives the bee the food for thought that is the most nutritionally appropriate , and it ensure that you do n’t contaminate the hive ’s honey with sugar .
4. Don’t Harvest During a Dearth
There ’s one last paucity caution : Whatever you do , never , everharvest dear during a dearth . It might seem like common sense , but it ’s deserving mentioning , because a dearth can sneak up on you , and a beginner beekeeper might not be intimate what to look for . Even if your bee have full storage but you have it away that no ambrosia is coming in — impart it . You never cognize what will chance later in the season . Though we always hope for even level of pelting , moderate Lord’s Day , lots of nectar and endless honey . Happy summertime !
