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How and why? Thermoregulation.

Most bees and wasps hibernate during the colder months. In many species, only the queen survives the winter, emerging in spring to reestablish a colony. But honey bees remain active all winter long, despite the freezing temperatures and lack of flowers on which to forage. Winter is when they reap the benefits of their hard work, by living off the honey they've made and stored.

Winter Is Why Bees Make Honey

The honey bee colony's ability to survive the winter depends on their food stores.

Keeping warm takes energy in the form of honey. If the colony runs short of honey, it will freeze to death before spring. The worker bees force the now useless drone bees from the hive, letting them starve. It's a harsh sentence, but one that's necessary for the colony's survival. Drones would eat too much of the precious honey, and put the hive in peril.

Once sources of forage disappear, the honey bees settle in for the winter. As temperatures fall below 57° F, the workers hunker down near their cache of honey. The queen stops laying eggs in late fall and early winter, since food stores are limited and the workers must focus on insulating the colony.

The Honey Bee Huddle

The honey bee workers form a cluster around the queen and brood to keep them warm. They keep their heads pointed inward. Bees on the inside of the cluster can feed on the stored honey. The outer layer of workers insulates their sisters inside the sphere of honey bees.

As ambient temperatures rise, the bees on the outside of the group separate a bit, to allow more air flow. As temperatures fall, the cluster tightens, and the outer workers pull together.

As the ambient temperature drops, the worker bees actively generate heat within the hive. First, they feed on honey for energy.

Then, the honey bees shiver. They vibrate their flight muscles but keep their wings still, raising their body temperatures. With thousands of bees shivering constantly, the temperature at the center of the cluster will warm up considerably, to about 93° F! When the workers on the outer edge of the cluster get cold, they push to the center of the group, and other bees take a turn shielding the group from the winter weather.

During warmer spells, the entire sphere of bees will move within the hive, positioning themselves around fresh honey stores. During long spells of extreme cold, the bees may be unable to move within the hive. If they run out of honey within the cluster, the bees can starve to death just inches from additional honey reserves.

What Happens to the Bees When We Take Their Honey?

An average colony of honey bees can produce 25 lbs. of honey during the foraging season. That's 2-3 times more honey than they typically need to survive the winter. During a good foraging season, a healthy colony of honey bees can produce as much as 60 lbs. of honey. So the industrious worker bees make much more honey than the colony requires to survive the winter. Beekeepers harvest the surplus honey, but always make sure they leave a sufficient supply for the bees to sustain themselves through the winter months.

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Winter is coming.

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winter tips (:

Winter is coming. It is already cold. 

Depending on how cold it gets where you live, bees form a tight cluster to survive the winter. Here in Illinois it gets really cold and windy. And this time of the year, it is too cold to inspect our colonies. We can open them just for a minute to replace candy boards but for the most part the bees are on their own until late April.

Cold does not kill a healthy, populous colony. Usually beekeepers lose colonies during the winter from viruses that are spread by varroa mites. Other winter problems can be tracheal mites, nosema, pesticide build up in stored pollen, starvation or a failed queen.

So many beekeepers ask me what they can do to help their bees survive the winter. I've worked up an easy to remember acronym WINTERS:

Reduce pest & diseases

Initiate protection against extreme climate conditions

New queen

Top Ventilation

Excluders and empty combs off

Restrict Opening to keep out mice

Sufficient Pollen & Honey

How does the typical hive overwinter? Bees make no effort to heat the inside of their hive like we heat our homes. We like every room to be warm. Bees, however, only produce heat within the cluster. The cluster consumes honey and shivers to produce heat.

Bees begin to cluster when the outside temperature reaches 57 (f). Temperature of the outer surface of the winter cluster is just over 40 (f). Within the center of the winter cluster the temperature is around 93 (f). Never inspect a frame outside the hive until the temperature reaches 65 (f). Colonies in the Midwest and north need around 4 frames of pollen for the winter, along with 60 pounds of honey. Typically in northern climates the queen will stop laying in November through December but will start laying small amounts of brood shortly after winter solstice (December 21 or 22).

Winter bees have larger hypopharyngeal glands and more fat body reserves. Bees can die in the winter if they become too filled with waste and cannot fly out and defecate. Bees keep their humidity level at 40-50% in the summer hive and in the winter cluster. The diameter of the winter cluster is around 14 inches at 57 (f) degrees, but 10 inches at -14 (f) An outside temperature of 45 (f) degrees is most optimal for efficient use of stored resources. A winter cluster is made up of an outside shell of bees around 3 inches thick that is very compressed. The bees heads are facing inward. Within the center of the winter cluster, bees are less compressed and move around caring for brood. Bees vibrate their wing muscles to generate heat for the winter cluster.

Normally a colony forms a winter cluster below their stored honey and gradually move up near the available honey as winter progresses. Smaller winter clusters consume more resources per bee than larger clusters. Bees can identify temperature differences as small as 0.45 (f). Very small clusters cannot survive temperatures 45 (f) and below. The winter cluster prefers dark comb and usually avoids new comb. Varroa mites, small hive beetles and trachea mites also survive within the warmth of the winter cluster.

Here's some winter tips:

Never remove frames for inspection unless the temperature is at least 65 degrees. Aster is not a good overwintering honey because it crystallizes fast and the bees rarely ripen it prior to winter. Crystallized honey in the winter can give the bees dysentery because it produces liquid as it separates and the bees are unable to take the cleansing flights they need.

Never give bees molasses, brown sugar or corn syrup as these contain complex carbohydrates and other compounds which the bees are unable to digest. Bees prefer to overwinter on foundation that has been used in brood rearing and will rarely move onto new comb. Here in the Midwest colonies need between 60-80 pounds of stored honey. Here are the weights of frames filled with honey:

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Plants that Help Bees through the Winter? keep readind :)

You can help bees through the winter by growing plants and flowering trees that bloom during the colder seasons. Because bees are still active in colder months, they need winter-blooming flowers that provide pollen and nectar. Honey bees forage on dry days in winter when temperatures reach 13ºC (55ºF) or more. Native bees, most of which are solitary nesters, need warmer weather to begin pollinating, and typically do not emerge until spring. In cities, however, where many warm spaces and gardens with cold-weather flowering plants provide protection and food, sightings of bumblebees in winter and very early spring are becoming more common.

By cultivating a variety of plants that flower successively throughout the fall, winter and spring, you can help feed the bees during the coldest months when few blooms are available. Borders and clusters of flowers attract more pollinators than solitary flowers dispersed throughout the garden. For annuals and perennials, cut back the flowers after their first bloom for continued blossoms. Bees pollinate nearly three-quarters of the fruits, vegetables nuts and herbs we eat. In fact, we depend on bees for our survival! So let’s help feed the bees by growing successive blooms that provide pollen and nectar throughout the winter. It is a lot harder to find good flowering plants for bees over winter. But the bees are also out and about less. Mostly bees reduce in numbers and stay in their hives during the coldest months, so the requirement for bee food is much less too.

Good plants for bees that flower from autumn on include rosemary, borage, pineapple sage, sedums, rudbeckia, Japanese anenomes, helenium and native hebes.

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Feeding bees – sugar // Part Three

Emergency feeding These procedures are best practiced by avoiding starvation. Bees can starve at any time of the year and usually if this happens it is the beekeeper and not the bees who should take the blame. It is the responsibility of the beekeeper to make sure that bees have enough stores. Sometimes in winter bees use up stores on one side of the hive and become marooned away from stores elsewhere. This is known as isolation starvation. Frames of stores can be moved across so they are adjacent to the bee cluster. Do not divide the brood nest.

If bees are short of stores in the winter and likely to starve then white soft candy (bakers fondant) is placed over the crown board feed hole. In the case of small colonies the crown board may need turning in order to position a feed hole over the bee cluster. Bees require water, often taken as condensation within the hive, to make use of candy. Candy is therefore taken slowly and does not excite the colony as much as other feeds. If sugar syrup is offered in a contact feeder cold temperatures may cause contraction of the container pushing syrup through the mesh and a wetting of the cluster. Correct autumn feeding prevents this scenario. If bees are short of stores at the spring inspection then feed thin sugar syrup using a contact feeder. In extreme cases when bees are starving spray them with a thin sugar syrup solution and fill an empty comb with sugar syrup. This can be done by pouring the syrup into the cells slowly by using a honey jar filled with sugar syrup and closed with a lid having 3 mm holes on opposite sides, or using a squeezy bottle, e.g. a cleansed washing up fluid bottle. When filled, place the comb adjacent to the bees. Remember March and April are the months when the bees will be using up food reserves fast as the colony expands and produces more brood. It is far better to have fed sufficient stores or left lots of honey in the autumn than to do emergency feeding in the spring. At this time a colony should have at least 4-5 combs with honey/stores, i.e. 9 kg. or 20lb. When removing a honey crop always check that sufficient stores remain to prevent bees starving. Feed immediately if needed.

Spring or stimulative feeding Many beekeepers feed a thin syrup solution to encourage brood rearing but providing the colony has sufficient stores, as stated previously, this is arguably pointless. It is a good plan to breed bees for the honey flows rather than breeding bees on the honey flow. To rear brood, bees need to feed a mix of honey or sugar, water and pollen, so to encourage brood rearing: ~ Ensure that the colonies are close to pollen crops or feed pollen. ~ Ensure that the colonies have sufficient honey and/or sugar syrup stores. If not feed a thin syrup. ~ Ensure that the bees have access to a clean water supply. If necessary use a water feeder. Robbing Feeding syrup excites bees and is usually done when there is no, or little, nectar flow. As a result care should be taken to prevent robbing. Especially when feeding in autumn supply the feed to all colonies in the late evening. Night will help quell bee activity. Reduce the hive entrance with an entrance block. Watch for signs of robbing – bees fighting, erratic flight and bees trying to enter a hive without meeting the guards. Strong colonies invariably rob weaker ones. If robbing starts reduce the entrance to one bee space using an entrance block and/or grass. This enables guard bees to protect the colony more efficiently. Placing a sheet of glass in front of the hive entrance so that bees have to go around the sides for access to the entrance can also help. The best cure to a robbing event is to move the besieged colony to another apiary. If a robbing event commences during inspections close up the colonies, reduce entrances and leave the apiary.

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Feeding bees – sugar // Part Two

Feeders There are three basic types of feeder used to feed sugar syrup to honey bee colonies

Pan feeders Often inappropriately named rapid feeders in the U.K. comprise a tray which is placed over the hive to which bees have access from below by means of a hole or slot arranged to stop them drowning. Versions such as Miller or Ashforth are made to the same external dimensions of the hive and are placed on top of the hive in lieu of the crown board. They can feed up to about 10 l. (or just over two gallons) at a time. Smaller plastic versions are available for placing over the crown board feedhole. Pan feeders are ideal for feeding bees in the autumn but are of less use in very cold conditions. When filling rapid feeders a small quantity of syrup is trickled down the side of the hole or slot to create a trail for bees to follow. Because of their large capacity Miller or Ashforth types are more convenient for autumn feeding. Contact feeders These are plastic buckets of various sizes fitted with a lid having a gauze centre section. In use they are either filled with sugar syrup, or the syrup is mixed in the bucket. The lid is placed on the feeder to seal it up. In the apiary the feeder is inverted over an empty container to catch the small amount of syrup that will pass through the gauze before atmospheric pressure in the bucket drops thus holding the syrup in the feeder. It is then placed on the hive with the gauze patch over the crown board feeder hole. An empty brood box, super or eke will be needed to support the hive roof properly. Contact feeders are generally more accessible to bees in cool weather conditions as the feeder is closer to the nest, making them more effective for emergency and spring feeding.

Frame feeders These are containers that look like a brood frame with a slot at the top and have a float inside to prevent bees drowning. They are filled by pouring prepared syrup through the slot. Typically they are used to supplement the food and replace a frame within the brood box. In the UK they are mostly used for keeping nuclei ‘topped up’ and in queen rearing systems.

Feeding sugar can be divided into three types Autumn feeding As a rule bees only need feeding because a crop of honey has been removed by the beekeeper. When taking a crop ensure that the bees have sufficient stores left in the hive to prevent starvation. September is generally the time of year chosen to feed sugar syrup as a supplement or substitute to ensure that honey bees have sufficient stores to carry them through the winter. Feeding is done after the honey crop has been removed and whilst the colony is still strong, warm enough for bees to move up into the feeder, able to take syrup down, invert and store it properly in the comb. Earlier feeding tends to be converted into brood so unless there is a risk of starvation wait until September. The amount of stores required by a colony to carry it through the winter varies with the strain of bee. The old British black, Apis mellifera mellifera, only required about 10 kg. of honey to safely feed it through the winter, but today an average honeybee colony requires about 18–22 kg. or 40-50lb. to do so. Larger hives headed by prolific queens may require more. A British Standard brood frame when full of honey contains about 2.2 kg. or 5lb. so assess the existing colony stores and feed the required balance using sugar syrup. Feeding at the time of some varroacide applications, usually those containing essential oils, is discouraged as this may increase robbing risks. Check the varroacide directions.

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What happens to bees in autumn?

Fall feeding of bees may be necessary for several reasons: •The beekeeper harvested too much honey •Weak nectar flows or bad weather prevented the bees from collecting enough stores •A colony—such as a newly installed swarm—got a late start and didn’t have enough time to collect enough stores •The beekeeper wants to treat for Nosema and needs syrup as a carrier for the antimicrobial product

If one or more of these conditions exist and you decide to feed syrup, you need to do it before the average daily temperature drops too low. Once the temperatures are too low, the bees are unable to dehydrate the syrup to a moisture level—about 17%—that is suitable for capping. Syrup or nectar that is uncapped may ferment in the cell, and fermented substances are not good for bees[1].

Also, syrup that remains in the feeder will eventually mold, and it will cause excessive moisture to accumulate inside the hive. Once bees stop taking the syrup in the fall, any remainder should be promptly removed.

While spring syrup is made in the ratio of one part sugar to one part water, fall syrup is made of 2 parts sugar to 1 part water (weight or volume, it doesn’t matter). In case you forget which is which, just remember that spring syrup resembles nectar, which is thin and lightly sweet. Fall syrup resembles honey, which is thick and very sweet.

In areas where there is little chance of a fall nectar flow, it is best to take off the honey supers and start feeding early. What little nectar the bees bring it will be mixed with the syrup they store, and all of it will help them get through the winter.

Considerations for fall feeding include the following: •Entrances should be reduced to protect the colony from robbing bees and yellow jackets, especially during a nectar dearth. •Feeding stimulants added to the mixture, such as essential oils or Honey-B-Healthy, help the bees find the syrup and cause them to store it more quickly. They also retard mold growth and provide nutrients to the bees. •If you use Fumagilin-B for control of Nosema, mix it into the syrup following the manufacturer’s instructions so that it gets dispersed evenly throughout the feed. •Never feed syrup in an open container because the bees will climb in and drown. Many types of feeders are available that will deliver the food yet keep the bees from harm.

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Feeding bees – sugar // Part One

When feeding bees Make up and use feeds of good quality pure sugar. White granulated sugar is the most suitable source. For convenience, especially for larger scale beekeepers, obtain a prepared bee feed from a suitable commercial source. Avoid feeding honey as it carries the risk of spreading bee diseases and the odour increases the likelihood of robbing. Use the right method, time and type of feeder for the task. Avoid spilling or leaving syrup open to bees in the apiary. Take care to avoid robbing. Pollen and water may also need to be supplied

Bee candy Candy or bakers fondant was first used to feed bees in the 18th century because it was the purest form of sugar then available. Today candy is used by many beekeepers to top up honeybee colonies in winter and for use in package bees, queen mating mini nuclei and queen introduction cages. It is best purchased from a bee supply merchant. If you wish to make your own recipes can be found in relevant text books but consistency tends to be variable when home made.

Making sugar syrup To make sugar syrup use white granulated sugar. With modern production methods it makes no difference if it was sourced from cane or beet. Do not use brown or raw sugars as they contain impurities. The syrup should be made up in the proportion of 1 kg. of white granulated sugar to 630 ml. of water or 2 lb. sugar to 1 pt. of water. There is no need to boil the mixture but using hot or warm water helps. Stir regularly to remove the air bubbles and dissolve all the crystals. When fully dissolved the mixture is clear and a very pale straw colour. If syrup is stored for any length of time then a scummy black fungal growth may appear. This can be prevented by adding a little thymol. Thymol does not dissolve readily in water but a solution can be made up in a small sealable bottle. Fill it to one third with thymol crystals* and top the bottle up with surgical spirit. Add 2.5 ml. of this solution to 4.5 l. of sugar syrup or half a teaspoon to a gallon of syrup. *Obtainable from bee equipment suppliers. For some feeding, usually when it is for immediate use by the colony, thin syrup is used. This contains twice the quantity of water and is best made up for use as required. Sugar syrup can be stored and moved around in suitable clean plastic drums. In the apiary a plastic watering can is a useful device for filling feeders.

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Save the bees. Save the Planet.

BEES ARE THE ULTIMATE QUEENS OF THE COMBACK 🐝🐝🐝🐝

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Summer for bees.

Study of bees' "waggle dance" show bees find it harder to collect nectar and pollen in summer The dance, in which the bee waggles its abdomen while moving in a figure of eight pattern, is performed by returning forager bees in the hive to tell its nest mates where to find good sources of pollen and nectar They may be most active then, but summer is the most challenging season for honey bees to collect nectar and pollen, according to a new study, which analysed the insects’ “waggle dance”. Researchers from the University of Sussex Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) spent two years filming honey bees in glass-fronted observation hives and then decoding their dances to discover how far the bees were having to fly to find sources of food during different seasons. The dance, in which the bee waggles its abdomen while moving in a figure of eight pattern, is performed by returning forager bees in the hive to tell its nest mates where to find good sources of pollen and nectar. It indicates the distance to a patch of flowers from the hive and the direction in which it lies. The bees in the study were able to access the surrounding downland countryside and Brighton and Hove through tube tunnels that opened to the outside of the lab. By examining the waggle dance data, researchers found that in summer, honey bees were covering areas 22 times greater than in spring and six times greater than in the autumn. The study also showed that summer is probably a harder season both because there are fewer suitable flowers but also because there are more insects active at that time, competing with each other for nectar and pollen.

Bee season depends largely on temperature and the seasonal patterns of flowers. After hibernating over the winter, bees awaken in time to collect pollen and nectar from their preferred plants; flowering plants also bloom in correspondence with the arrival of their most effective pollinators. Certain bee species are active pollinators during certain seasons, as native flowering plants and bees have established a relationship throughout their lengthy evolution. Some bees have no seasonal preferences and feed off a variety of flowering plants.

Three of the most commonly encountered bees by homeowners are honey bees, carpenter bees and bumble bees. These bees usually become active in the spring with the warm weather and flowering of plants. They remain active throughout the summer and into the fall. Cooling temperatures in the fall prompt them to prepare to overwinter. During the winter months their activity decreases to the point where they are not seen unless on a warm winter day.

Understanding bee seasons and the flower preferences of certain bee species could facilitate pollination and assist in both commercial and personal gardening.

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honey .)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

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Best flowers for bees! Digitalis

Digitalis (foxglove) (HB) Foxgloves make great food for bees. As they are poisonous, protect children from them and handle wearing gloves. As long as these precautions are taken these are wonderful plants for the garden and the bees. A woodland plant, they’re useful for a shady spot.

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Imagine. bees. 

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The bees are back!

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Best flowers for bees! Echinops .

Echinops (globe thistle) (HP) This lovely blue thistle is very ornamental, even when not in flower, standing about 36? tall. Bees and butterflies love the flowers which provide plenty of nectar. Easy to grow from seed and will come back year after year. Echinops is a genus of about 120 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as globe thistles. They have spiny foliage and produce blue or white spherical flower heads. They are native to Europe east to central Asia and south to the mountains of tropical Africa. Echinops is a globe like thistle with jagged edged silver green leaves…it grows to 120 cm tall…the flower heads look like the ‘Maces’ that knights of old would use to bash other knights of old….in the days of knights of old.

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Best flowers for bees! Ageratum

Ageratum (HHA) Easy to grow, with heads of blue flowers and another member of the compositae family, so lots of food on one flower head. This is one of my favorite annuals in the garden. Just don’t plant out until all danger of frost has passed and dead head for more flowers.

Where, When and How to Plant?

Ageratum are not fussy about soil conditions as long as it’s well-drained. Purchased transplants from the local garden center and set them out into the garden planted 6 inches apart in spring after all danger of frost has passed. To produce a larger quantity of ageratum for less cost, start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost date in your area. Barely cover the seed with potting soil, as they need light to germinate. Plant in full sun in cooler parts of New England. Plant in part shade in warmer regions, or if grown a warm microclimate such as near a south-facing stone wall.

Growing Tips

Keep plants well-watered and weeded once transplanted. Although they can tolerate dry conditions, young plants need moist soil to get established. Pinch back the growing tips of young plants to stimulate them to branch out and form a bushier plant. This will lead to more flowers. Deadhead the flowers to keep the blooming all summer and for a tidier appearance.

Regional Advice and Care

During hot, dry spells spider mites can attack ageratum causing them to dieback. To prevent spider mite infestations, mist the plants during dry spells with water. Spider mites don’t like humid conditions. Cut back damaged plants if you miss the infestation and they should regrow and flower again.

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A True Friend Of Breakfast.

When describing honey, I could use a lot of buzzz words or (honey) comb through my list of catchy turns-of-phrase. Sure, that would bee sweet. But when it comes to having honey in the morning, no descriptive tricks bee necessary. Honey is a true friend of breakfast.

An average worker bee lives for only six weeks and in that time it creates only a slight 1/12 teaspoon of honey. It takes approximately twenty-four bees to create the smooth, clear topping for a single pancake. Two teaspoons of honey can be a terrific change of pace from the same old maple syrup topping.

To create a single pound of honey, an army of bees must gather the nectar from over two million flowerzzzzzzz. A quick breakfast of toast with butter and honey suddenly seems poetic when you consider that it's spread with the nectar of thousands of flowerzzzzzzz.

Whether as a topping or an ingredient in recipes, honey can bee a welcome and healthy change from sugar and syrup. A 60 calorie tablespoon of honey contains zzzzzzzzero fat and cholesterol and you always know what you're getting. Honey is just what it says it is… pure honey… nothing else.

Honey can replace refined sugar in nearly all recipes. Simply swap it in cup for cup. Since honey contains its own sweet liquid, you may want to reduce other liquids in the recipe by a quarter cup per cup of honey. Some honey enthusiasts also suggest reducing the cooking temperature by 25 degreezzzzzzzzz (so as to not brown the honey) and increasing the leavening agent (baking soda/powder) a half teaspoon per cup of honey.

There are many health benefits to honey. It contains antioxidants It's a great source for vitamin Bee 6, thiamin, niacin and riboflavin. A single teaspoon can sooth a sore throat. When mixed with whiskey and lemon, it becomes an effective cough syrup. There are those from the old school, who say honey even helps to cure a hangover.

And after you eat honey, why not brush some in your hair. Our versatile friend has been used as beauty treatment for hair and skin since the time of Cleopatra.

Certainly, one could drone on for hours about nature's perfect sweetener, but, to quote Friedrich Engels, "An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory".

So bee it at the table, in the kitchen or even in the shower, give honey a try and see what all the buzz buzzzz buzzzzz bee about.

Now. I am hungry.

article from. mrbreakfast.com