Littledown Bees at The Grain Store
Whether they're brightly striped, extravagantly fluffy or smaller than your thumbnail, bees are vital to our planet.
Manek our resident bee keeper, reports on the goings on live from the hive.
Autumn Colours at The Grain Store
Image Credit: Ben Harvey
“Winter is coming, and the bees know it. As the days shorten, they start to stick everything together inside the hive, blocking up any gaps, while continuing to gather forage where they can.
As summer elides into autumn, the nectar flow dries up but the bees can still bring in pollen to feed the larvae.
Meanwhile the queen continues to lay eggs but fewer every day. The worker bees now eject the drones who this year have no further part to play in the life of the colony; they will starve and die.
All the bees hatching in autumn will become the winter bees. Unlike their hard-working, foraging ancestors who live for around six weeks, they will survive until the spring, mostly spending their time inside the hive.
And as it gets colder, the queen stops laying and the worker bees cluster together, huddling around their queen to protect her and keep her warm. They do this by shivering their wing muscles to generate heat so, even on the very coldest of days, the temperature at the centre of the cluster can be 20 degrees.
Bees on the Comb
Image Credit: Shutterstock
For the beekeeper, it means ensuring that their heat-generating energy needs are met. Sugar syrup and fondant is given which, together with the stored pollen, it is all they need until the nectar flows of springtime start again.
It’s still a worrying time, colonies can collapse and die without any obvious cause, so I’ll need to treat them for disease around Christmas time to keep the virus-laden parasites in check.”
The bees have been busy!
We are delighted that honey, made from the hives based at The Grain Store, is now being sold locally in Lewes.
Natural and unprocessed, this honey is straight from the comb for you to enjoy.
Head to Seasons on Lewes high street to grab yourself a pot of sunshine, as well as lots of other wonderful goodies.
Littledown Honey made from hives kept at The Grain Store
Image Credit: Simone Thorn
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