February is when Old Man Winter knows his end is fast approaching and we are getting ready for spring. By producing more young bees, the honey bees are gearing up for the abundance of food that Spring will bring.
Of course, that means they need a good supply of nectar and pollen to feed all those babies. Check this list of plants to add to your garden to help feed them.
Apricot - Nectar and Pollen
Bear's Foot Hellebore - Nectar and Pollen
Buckwheat Tree - Nectar
Coastal Plain Willow - Nectar and Pollen
Eastern Redbud - Nectar and Pollenl
Greasewood - Nectar
Halberd-Leaved Willow - Nectar, Pollen and Honeydew
Highbush Blueberry - Nectar
Shiny Lyonia - Nectar
Redberry - Nectar
Skunk Cabbage - Pollen
Sweet Almond - Nectar and Pollen
More pollen is available in Feburary which means there will be plenty to make beebread to feed the brood. With so many mouths to feed the honey bees are going to be even more aggressive than they were last month. Do not disturb them while they are so busy gathering food for their young.
Beekeepers should be planning ahead for the first heavy nectar flow and be prepared to add supers in a timely manner. That means making sure the supers are clean and have wax foundation installed if you are using it.
More February Plants, look here.
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Seeing the honey bees by wildflowers | Feb 28, 2012 2:41 PM | 1 |