Late winter/early spring is an exceedingly dangerous time for honeybees. Inexperienced beekeepers often assume, too soon, that the bees have made it through the winter. The sight of spring flowers and bees visiting them, makes the keeper think the bees will now feed themselves. Sadly this is not always true.

   The appearance of spring flowers does not equal a serious nectar flow. Oftentimes spring and winter are trading blows, and, while spring will eventually win, the bees have many hours they cannot work, due to overcast, rain, cold or wind. Yet their need for food has increased exponentially with the massive brood rearing of early spring. The most powerful hives can go from apparent prosperity to starvation in just a few days, if they do not have enough reserves. Hives that seemed to have plenty of reserves a month earlier, may be teetering on the edge before the REAL spring arrives.

    A short pictorial is available at   http://pollinator.com/starving_bees.htm  that explains the danger, and steps that can be taken to prevent it.

Dave Green   SC  USA
The Pollination Home Page (Now searchable): http://pollinator.com