Bee School - Part 4

Topic: Tips on Nutrition
Speaker: Can't Remember :-(

The following are some nutritional tips for beekeeping.

• Bees need feed in the Spring, especially April, for rain spells. If it is raining, they cannot collect nectar. If you have a new hive without honey stores, your bees can run out of food and starve when it rains for a week or more straight!
• You need to have 3-5 deep frames of honey for your bees just for the times when they cannot collect nectar.
• When you check your hives look for these three things: (1) healthy activity, (2) eggs and larva, and (3) plenty of food.
• Feed your bees thick syrup in the fall or during emergency times.
• Feed your bees thin syrup in the Spring when they have enough food but you want to build up their food supply.
• Thin syrup will increase egg production.
• The best types of clover to plant for your bees are White Dutch Clover for early nectar, and Sweet Clover for later nectar.
• DO NOT plant Ledina Clover.