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The Nectar Flow
Strategies during a Flow//Issue013
Welcome back to The Beekeeper’s Blueprint! Or perhaps this is your first time here. Welcome! 😉
The focus of this week is Nectar Flow Strategies, so that you get the MOST out of your beekeeping experience!
Everything I have for you today will give lead you to Real Demonstration & Advice at my YouTube Channel: The Hive Doctor, after each section.
Beekeeping is an experiential-based skill and I want to help you in the best ways that I can.
Here’s an outline of today’s beekeepery things for you:
-Strategies for the the Nectar Flow-
#1- Understanding the Nectar Flow in relation to Plants.
#2- How you can take advantage of the Flow.
Now let’s get into the core of each point! The world of beekeeping is waiting for you!
Point #1- Understanding the Nectar Flow.
The flow is a time of year when Major sources of nectar become available, so much so that honey bee colonies gather it in abundance and in excess of more than their population size will ever use in a given year.
It is because of this excess of honey that beekeepers are able to come along and harvest honey from a colony and ideally in a Sustainable manner. It’s possible to take too much which is a topic for another time.
Blossom of the Tulip Poplar tree.
There are Major and Minor sources of nectar. Major sources of nectar are the ones that bloom in such abundance that it creates the opportunity for a honey crop for beekeepers.
Each climate and geographic area that honey bees survive in has its own unique plants that provide these major sources of nectar. The blossom in the picture above comes from the Tulip Poplar tree, a tree numbering in the hundreds of thousands in my area and blooms from late April through the month of May (mid to late spring).
Major sources of nectar are either from wild cultivated forage like forests or anything that grows naturally OR from man-made areas such as orchards, plantations and groves. Orange Blossom honey for example comes from citrus trees grown in places like Florida and California.
Well now you know :)
It is during the nectar flow that we can use the abundance of nectar coming in coupled with the honey bees’ natural foraging habits to help us pursue our own goals which leads us to our strategies during the flow.
Point #2- How to take advantage of the Nectar Flow.
Honey bees are very good at drawing beeswax for the purpose of making space for the queen to lay or for worker bees to store honey.
Here are the things that beekeepers can do to take advantage of the nectar flow:
This is a great time to get the bees to draw out fresh, brand new frames whether you’re using beeswax foundation, plastic foundation or foundation-less frames.
The bees will also repair and replenish old or damaged frames.
However, if you have already drawn out frames, this gives the bees a super head start on storing honey and potentially gathering more honey for you to harvest.
Generally speaking, honey bee populations are at their peak during nectar flow season; meaning that this is a great opportunity to make splits.
Making splits during a flow also yields to higher quality queens that are made during this time because of the abundance of resources coming in.
Enjoying what you’re reading so far? Check out my book: The Intuitive Beekeeper, Beyond Master Beekeeping by clicking the picture below!
Available at Amazon.com & Barnes & Noble.
Click the picture and see what HiveAlive has for your bees! I use this stuff year-round with very satisfying results.
Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom 😉. I want to hear from you!
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