Honey bees collect pollen and nectar from flowering plants such as milkweed, dandelions, clover, goldenrod and fruit trees to gather both pollen and nectar for themselves.
Bees convert nectar collected to honey as their main source of protein and energy, sometimes needing additional nutrition sources to meet their needs.
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1. Honey
Honey is a naturally sweet liquid food produced by bees from nectar, offering many health advantages including antimicrobial properties which may help curb antibiotic resistance. Honey can naturally sweeten foods while providing several other health advantages as well.
Bees produce six other edible products from their hives for human consumption besides honey: pollen, royal jelly, beeswax, propolis, venom and honeycomb. Each has unique nutritional values and can be used in various recipes.
Springtime is the best time for beekeeping, when colonies begin expanding and laying brood. Additionally, this season is also ideal for providing extra resources to packages-started hives; often these have been under-resourced and require time and attention before becoming productive honey producers.
2. Beeswax
Beeswax is a waxy substance secreted from worker bees’ glands on their underside of their abdomen in small flakes, which has long been used in candle making and furniture polishing applications – more recently appearing as part of beauty products such as lip balms and hand creams.
Waterproof materials like marine grade plywood require protection from infiltration by moisture, while natural remedies to stop bacteria build-up such as that which causes conditions like dermatitis and eczema are an essential part of protecting wood surfaces from water ingress. As waterproof materials like marine grade plywood provide this layer of defense for wood surfaces from moisture ingress, marine grade waterproof membranes have also become popular means for protecting them against this kind of moisture infiltration.
Wax is produced by worker bees throughout their lives, from when they first emerge until approximately twenty days post swarming occurs. It plays an integral role in bee nutrition.
3. Nuts
Nuts are an ideal food source for honey bees due to their abundance of enzymes that aid them in breaking down and converting carbohydrates to energy.
Bees require protein and fats in various ratios depending on their season-by-season needs and any changes happening within their hive.
Researchers in Israel have recently shown that when colonies lack essential amino acids, forager bees attempt to address the situation by eating foods containing these amino acids.
Beekeepers will find these results encouraging as they often feed their colonies pollen and nectar during times of scarce resources or poor weather. Honey provides much better emergency nutrition than sugar in such circumstances.
4. Fruits
Bees are vegetarian creatures that rely solely on nectar and pollen collected from flowering plants for nourishment. Nectar provides nectar-bee colonies with energy needed for flight; pollen provides proteins, fats and lipids as well as various micronutrients such as essential sterols, vitamins, and minerals to stay warm in wintertime.
But weather conditions, wilting queens or late freezes may deplete these natural resources, hindering honeybees’ ability to collect nectar and pollen for nectar gathering and pollen collection. Beekeepers may supplement natural supplies by feeding bees nutrient-rich hive food as an aid towards maintaining healthy colonies.
Fruits provide bees with essential protein and carb sources. Plotted during fall or early spring planting season, fruits make an excellent addition to a beekeeper’s garden.
5. Water
Honey bees are adept foragers, and possess several features that allow them to find water sources quickly and effectively. These include their sense of smell, the hydrofoil action of their wings, and special foraging behaviors which enable them to find sources in places where visibility may be difficult.
Bees use various dances and behaviors to find food sources, particularly water sources such as puddles, streams, bird baths and swimming pools where they gather to quench their thirst.
Unless there’s an easily accessible water source nearby, bee stations with small amounts of attractant (sugar syrup, honey or crushed oyster shells) may help lure bees for several days until they adapt to using only plain water as their water source. Once this process has completed, attractants may no longer need to be added and you can simply use regular tap water without adding more attractants.
