“The Gift of the Dandelion”  by Annie Watson, Thistle Hill Studio

May is such an important and busy month for the honey bees. The colony is rearing brood, and many plants are flowering, providing food for the growing population. Ground ivy and dandelions are everywhere. Dandelions are such an important food source for bees. Many people consider them pest plants and spend hours trying to dig them out or pour toxic chemicals on the lawn to kill them. But the bees really need the dandelion’s nectar and pollen to support the colony. Besides, what can be more cheerful than a bright yellow dandelion flower with a bee on it?

“First Pollen” by Annie Watson, Thistle Hill Studio

As soon as the weather warms up in April (we hope!) the bees will begin to collect pollen from the early-blooming plants. In Vermont, the first ones are pussy willow, goat willow, and red maple. Keep a lookout for that red “glow” on the hillsides in April. It’s easily seen on a rainy day. Get up close to see the colorful red maple flower and maybe even a honey bee on it. Oddly, red maple pollen is a rather drab grey-brown in color. Willow pollen is pale yellow.

“Feast Your Eyes” by Annie Watson

As March begins, the cold continues unabated.  Let’s feast our eyes on something other than more snow and ice. This photo shows a worker honey bee on a sumac flower. Sumac blooms in June and is a major food source for Vermont’s honey bees. This picture is a reminder of the coming of spring. The amber blob on the bee’s back leg is pollen.

In March, the beekeeper checks on the hives and feed the colony honey or some form of sugar if necessary — this is the month when colonies can starve. Believe it or not, if the temperatures warm up, we will begin to see the bees venturing out for the first pussy willow and alder pollen of  later this month, at least in southern Vermont. The spring equinox arrives on March 20th, when the day and night are of equal length. Happy Spring!