After a winter of surviving off of stored honey, bees will be ready to get to work once the flowers and plants bloom in the spring. With that said, they need nectar to make more honey, which they get from foraging flowers and plants. If you’re a beekeeper, you may anticipate the spring and summer seasons because of the honeymaking potential. Follow along to learn more about the honey flow and what it means to beekeepers.
What Is Honey Flow?
The honey flow is a sweet spot in time when bees have the opportunity to make an abundance of honey. With that said, this period isn’t really about honey flowing, but it’s more about the availability of nectar. When bees have ready access to nectar-rich plants and flowers, they may accelerate their honeymaking process and make more than they actually need.
When Does It Occur?
Nectar-rich plants and flowers are the most accessible to bees during the summer months, but springtime can also be a good time for many plants. Interestingly, bees need a few things to happen in order to forage: suitable flying weather and readily available nectar-rich plants. Unfortunately, beekeepers have no control over either of these factors, but it’s likely to happen during the warmer months.
How To Spot Honey Flow
Because the nectar flow can begin within flowers and plants several miles away from the hive, you can’t rely on the appearance of nearby plants. In fact, you’ll know that the flow has begun by your bees’ behavior. You’ll notice a larger volume of bees out foraging, and they’ll be weighed down with nectar when they arrive back at the hive. As they return, more will leave to forage. In addition to the behavior, you’ll be able to see a dramatic increase in honey stores within the hive.
What To Do as a Beekeeper
Because the bees are using much more space to store the honey, there will be less space for them to live. With that said, they may get the urge to swarm and divide into two colonies. In order to prevent them from doing so, you should monitor the space and add more boxes to expand their hive if necessary.
Now that you know what the honey flow is and what it means to beekeepers, you can care for your colony better. If you want to give your colony the best possible chance at survival and productivity, consider our mite-resistant bees for sale. Whether you have one colony or many, you can expect an upsurge in honey available for harvest during the honey flow.