Our bees
Illustrated Talk by Derek & Emma Fearnley on 18th July 2024
It is estimated that 84% of EU crops rely on insect pollination.
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Collection of honey from bees dates from earliest history. In medieval times honey was hugely important for medicines, sugar and alcohol.
Only honey bees make enough honey that we can take it from them . They build up stores to sustain them over the winter and usually have an excess which we can use.
Derek & Emma presented examples of the life cycle of the honey bee including the types of bee found in a hive - a queen, workers and drones and an introduction to the Bee Year.
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In January the queen will start to lay eggs and the winter worker bees will be flying and by February/March the colony will increase from 5,000 bees to 50,000 – 60,000 bees by the end of May.
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When the hive gets very large (and if the queen is laying too well or poorly) the hive may prepare to look for a new home and ‘Queen Cells’ will start to appear in the frames. Scout bees will go out to look for new homes (sometimes in a roof or chimney and less often in trees) and when ready to hatch the queen can leave with an amount of bees.
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Bee keepers will go out and catch a swarm. By September/October bees are laying down stores for winter and drones will be kicked out of the hive and winter bees, which have a longer life than summer bees, will develop.
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Derek and Emma showed a selection of photos from their own colonies and examples of the wonderful variety pollen colours that can be seen, including purple and black! The benefits of an untidy garden were stressed and the dangers to bees of insecticides and crop spraying were highlighted.
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Finally an introduction to the yellow legged Asian hornet which is a danger to bees. It is smaller than the native European hornet, mostly black but with yellow legs. This year is the first year it has been proven that Asian yellow Legged Hornets have overwintered in Britain and as yet it is not known if they are flying over the channel. Hornets will ‘hawk’ in front of a hive and pick off the bees. It is a reportable species with more information available online.
The Best Plants for Bees
There is a huge choice of brilliant flower varieties when it comes to choosing plants that are most loved by bees:
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Best for a large variety of bees: shallow blossom plants, including daisies, zinnias and asters. Blue, yellow and, most of all, purple plants are thought to be the most appealing. Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve,’ for example, is a fantastic, vivid purple, long-flowering plant.
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Best for long-tongued bee varieties: plants in the mint family: nepeta, salvia, oregano, mint and lavender, along with flowers with hidden nectar such as larkspur and snapdragons
Bees are at their most active from spring into early autumn. Plant a mixture of flowers that offer a source of food throughout the seasons.
Spring Plants for Bees
Bluebells, hellebores, myosotis (forget-me-nots), crocuses, muscari (grape hyacinth), mahonia japonica and rhododendrons are all excellent spring plants for bees.
Summer Plants for Bees
Alcea (hollyhock), Antirrhinum (snapdragon), Aquilegia, Aster, Delphinium, Digitalis (foxgloves), Fuchsia, Geraniums, Heather and Lavender are just some of the many good summer plants for bees.
Autumn Plants for Bees
Late-flowering nectar plants that are great for bees include abelia, Anemone Sylvestris, dahlias, salvias, sedum and Verbena bonariensis.
Winter Plants for Bees
With increasingly mild winters, it is getting more common to see the odd bee out and about, so do think about suitable winter plants too. Winter-flowering clematis, Erica carnea (winter heather), Hedera helix (common ivy), Lonicera fragrantissima (winter honeysuckle) and Mahonia are all great examples.
The life cycle of a honey bee colony
