Honey Bees

[Columbarius]

As an apiarist I'm alert to honey bees and their behavior all the time. This first shot is one of my bees (I think) collecting pollen from a nearby apple tree ...


Collecting Pollen by PhotographyRussell, on Flickr

Whilst this one shows greeting behavior on a Passion Flower ....


Passion Flower & Bees by PhotographyRussell, on Flickr

Hope you like them

[tesarver]

Honey Bees



Tom

[David Stallard]

Re: Honey Bees

#2 is a terrific capture, one of those 'rare' moments.

.DAVID.

[colin C]

Re: Honey Bees

Both marvellous and knowing the subject well, you have more than done them justice.

Greeting behaviour on a passion flower? How more romantic does it get?

[DeeGee]

Re: Honey Bees

[MX5]

Re: Honey Bees

so how are the bees doing? I was reading there was a bee crisis (no bees -> no food for humans)

[Columbarius]

Re: Honey Bees

Hi MX5, I could write a long essay in response to your question, but I'll try to be brief. Honey bees are not the only creatures which pollinate plants. Bumble bees, wasps, butterflies, hover flies and many other insects, all play a part, even in some countries birds. But honey bees are particularly important because they over-winter as a colony, whereas only a queen bumble bee or wasp overwinters.

With the colony around her to collect food and nurture the young brood, a queen honey-bee can therefore begin laying and thus building up the population early in the year (January onwards). Many food crops (especially top-fruit and many vegetables) need pollination in early spring, and the honey bees are the only insects with a sufficiently large population to do the job. Also because they are managed they can be moved where they are required to pollinate a crop - in the UK typically to Kent and the Vale of Evesham, in US Florida for the oranges and northward from there with the seasons.

However, last year was the most difficult year for beekeeping that anyone can remember. It was very hot early on so the plants produced lots of pollen, protein for the newly hatched bee larvae, but they did not produce much nectar - the carbohydrate that the young bees, and workers need (the stuff that eventually becomes honey) so colonies did not build up very quickly. Then came the incessant rain, and neither pollen nor nectar was available.

Hence a lot of colonies died out. Mating of new queens was very poor because of the wet and cold and so it was very difficult to establish replacement colonies.

I don't know if you've noticed but there was very little English honey available for sale last year.

So now, we're all keeping our fingers crossed, feeding our bees as best we can, and hoping to get them through to the spring.

Wish us luck!

[MX5]

Re: Honey Bees

Many thanks Russell for a brief but very informative response. Well definitely wishing you luck in 2013 with the bees.

[Jeffo40d]

Re: Honey Bees

Good luck and for the photo's

[Columbarius]

Re: Honey Bees

Hopefully there's between 5-10,000 bees in here, trying to keep warm, and waiting for the weather to improve.


Winter Snow by PhotographyRussell, on Flickr

p.s. The chicken wire is to stop Green Woodpeckers making holes in the hive!

[Housey]

Re: Honey Bees

Like your pictures. Would never have occurred to me that woodpeckers would peck a hole through the side of a beehive.

Kevin

[Columbarius]

Re: Honey Bees

No-one is quite sure why, but it happens most winters if the hives aren't protected. Obviously there are no larvae present at that time of year, only adult bees, but they might be feeding on them. The other theory is that they like the drumming effect produced by the hollow hive. Who can tell?

[Columbarius]

Re: Honey Bees

I know it's a poor photograph, and hopelessly OOF but ...


Pollen Collection 14-02-2013 by PhotographyRussell, on Flickr

For the first time this year the bees are out collecting pollen, the orange/yellow packets on the rear legs are almost certainly crocus pollen.

This implies that the queen has survived, and there is new brood to feed, pollen being the protein source for the larvae.

I'm delighted, and thought I'd share my joy!

Russell

[MX5]

Re: Honey Bees

Thanks for keeping us informed about one of natures "more important workers".

[BobaPhil]

Re: Honey Bees

Wonderful shots of beautiful creatures.