Whoops! The life and times of the Honeybee in Mableton!

So, what happened?  On September 1, the temp was a scorching 93 as we watched our son play football, then 5 days later I wake up to 63 degrees after a small tropical storm named, Lee, comes through and gives us some rain.  

The bees are really hunkering down now, to put up any last nectar and pollen of the season for the winter.  When the temperature changes, the bees slow down, gathering together in the hives to keep warm.  Most of the beehives still have some brood (babies) and they need to be kept at 92 degrees to develop into workers.  All the bees will cover the brood and keep them warm, now.  The foraging bee population is looking for any flowers they can find.  

I went out to have a look at the hives on Sunday before the rain and I was watching the girls bringing in pollen, others just hanging out on the front porch to create the Bee AC.  The bees fan their wings to create a draft in the hive so that the temperature is not too hot.  Now they are not fanning outside, but  they are inside the house to keep warm. 

With the weather changes the queen slows down and does not lay as many eggs. In the summer time she can lay 2000 eggs a day.  The other bees in the hive will continue to care for the babies but as the queen is not laying that many eggs there is less to do.  

The drones, or male bees, are beginning to be kicked out of the hive.  The drones do not collect nectar,they do not bring back pollen and they do not protect the hive (sting).  The drones only job is to mate with the queen.  If the drone has not done so by Septemeberish and comes back to the hive; the worker bees will chase him out so that he will die of starvation.  It happens this time of the year every year.  The hive needs to make sure that everyone is contributing and the drone does not contribute, c'est la vie!  

Right now when the weather is good above 50 degrees, bees are flying and are looking for food.  You can plant fall flowers for them and they will be happy to visit.  

The plants that bees like include, aster, zinnia, sedums and goldenrod.  Try not to buy the hybridized brand and check out the grower.  Are they producing thousands of plants that don't produce nectar?  Or, are they a garden center or nursery that is getting the plants locally or perhaps producing their own?  Help out the small business by buying from them.  

Remember no pesticides, fungicides or herbacides!  Use natural remedies.