As the cold season approaches
each year Honey Bee colonies go through a process of change - the workers
(sterile females) are busier than ever stockpiling pollen - and nectar (transformed
into honey) - to sustain the colony through the cold winter months. By November
the Honey Bee queen (only fertile female in the colony) ceases to lay eggs;
since no more baby bees are needed for a while it’s “Swan Song” time for the
drones (males of the colony); they are permanently ejected from the hive.
Many of the older worker bees in
the colony will begin to die off either from age or due to accidents while
foraging for pollen and nectar. This in addition to the removal of the drones
and the queen’s egg laying cessation for the year will cause the number of
colony inhabitants to shrink from as much as 80,000 honey bees at the height of
the warm season nectar flows to around 20,000 for the winter season. This is
Mother Nature’s way of helping the colony to maximize its winter food stores.
During cold weather, except for “cleansing
flights” (Honey Bees frown upon pooping in the hive!), the Honey Bees spend the
majority of their time huddling within the protection of the hive to stay warm.
There are a number of things that can go awry during this time that will impact
the colony’s ability to survive the winter – disease or colony pests, such as
Varroa mites, and/or starvation may overcome and kill the entire colony.
Assuming the colony has
sufficient winter stores and all else has gone well during November and
December, the Honey Bee queen will commence to laying eggs again – both female
workers and drones - around January 9th (in North America) to re-build the colony’s
population in preparation for the coming spring nectar flows. So January,
February, and March, constitute a very critical time for the colony – as new
bees hatch the colony’s food stores will be consumed at a much higher rate. In
response the colony will begin to forage regularly again - when the weather permits
- to supplement their stores; pollen availability is especially critical.
Pollen provides protein, while nectar fulfills the carbohydrate needs of the
colony. The newly hatching bees consume a lot of protein!
Since honey bees through their pollination services
are responsible for about one in every three bites of food we humans take, it
is in our best interest to incorporate plants that bloom early in the year into
our landscape and garden plans. Here are just a few – the Eastern Redbud tree, Magnolias,
Dogwoods, Camellias, Jasmine, and Honeysuckle. Many people consider Dandelions
as being synonymous with “land mines” in their lawn, but Dandelions provide an
important source of protein for honey bee colonies. I always leave a section of landscape for Dandelions;
watching the bees work those bright, little yellow blooms after a cold winter makes
for a blessed day!
Check with your local nursery to
determine the trees and plants suitable for your area that will bloom during
these early months each year, especially January and February.
And think about leaving a few
Dandelions for the bees - just as humans need variety in their diets, so do the
bees!
