A mild winter can be a killer for our bees! Typically in the - TopicsExpress



          

A mild winter can be a killer for our bees! Typically in the winter, bees stay inside their hives except for occasional cleansing flights, but an unseasonably warm winter may pose a real threat. Usually semi-dormant in the cold of winter, they become active in mild weather and quickly eat through their reserve honey stores, which are supposed to last until spring. There is no forage available for them to re-stock either, though bees will take exploratory foraging flights, using honey as fuel to fly but returning empty. Brood rearing may also be kicked into action earlier in mild weather, again causing bees to eat through more of their stores. The danger period, the most likely time the bees could starve, is just before flowers start blooming in the Spring. Keep checking the weight of your hives this winter, especially if the weather is mild, and offer candy (fondant) if you suspect that food stores are running low.
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 04:40:33 +0000

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