Bosworth Bees

September 26 update

The weather is getting cooler in the evenings now, but the days are still warm and sunny which means there's still plenty of work to do. The ivy is in full flower, in Husbands Bosworth this is the last major flowering plant of the year so we need to make the most of it.

Of course we're not the only ones, lots of insects will be working the ivy including hoverflies, hornets, bumblebees and hornets. If you stand next to a hedge full of ivy you'll probably hear it humming with insects.

For all the insects here this is the final push before winter so things get pretty competitive. We'll be collecting pollen and nectar to keep us going through the winter. Back at the hive we need to make sure any holes and gaps are sealed up to keep both the cold and invaders out. These include wasps, woodlice, spiders.. even mice if the gaps are too big. We might be able to do this at night as long as it doesnt get too cold, but if the temperature drops below about 12C we'll need to get into a cluster to keep the hive warm enough for the queen and baby bees. The baby bees are really important because they need to survive all winter and be strong enough to get the hive going once spring arrives. While a summer bee only lives for about 3 weeks, the winter bees need to live several months.

If you try and lift the hive up at this time of year you should find its as heavy as a rock, that's all our honey which needs to keep us going until spring. If anyone tries to take it, badgers for example, we'll give them a reception they won't forget in a hurry. You've been warned, don't try to take our honey, epecially in September!

Jobs for September

Get as much nectar and pollen as possible before Autumn from late flowering plants like ivy and creeper
Defend the honey we've worked all year to collect from robbers like wasps, badgers, mice and especially beekeepers!
The propolis team will be busy making the propolis, then we'll use this to seal the hive to keep out intruders, and the cold drafts of Autumn.
Now that we don't need the centre of the hive for raising baby bees we'll move the honey from the outside of the hive into more central cells where its easier to get to
Make sure all the honey is properly sealed to keep it fresh, clean and tidy things up in preparation for winter

Hope to see you soon!

Got to go, lots of work to do!

bosworthbees(at)gmx.co.uk