The current beekeeping civilisation , at least in my area , is labored on feed bee in times of dearth—”dearth ” being a lean stretch of clock time when little to no honeybee forage bloom are blooming . The mutual wisdom , and previously my beekeeping philosophy , was that if we keep our bees in boxes , manipulate their hives and steal their honey , we should help them out in thin times . After all , we ’re their steward , are we not ?
But what if all that feeding harms our bee ?
Here are three reasons why you might reconsider feeding bees on your current regimen :
1. New Evidence Shows Hungry Bees Are Hardier
Some studies suggest that larvae raised during multiplication of dearth , and subsequently unity who did not get enough to eat , were intrepid as adults and more potential to last lean forage times throughout their lifespan . This would think that by feeding bee , we ’re disconnecting them from natural struggle , and short-circuit their opportunity to build up strong populations that are more acclimated to survival of the fittest in the part where they populate . Remember , honeybees are not aboriginal to North America , so they ’re on foreign dirt ( to their genetic science ) no matter where they are on the North American continent .
2. Sugar Is Doused In Chemicals
One such chemical substance is found in Roundup — glyphosate , to be exact . This deadly chemical is wide used in conventional wheat berry , corn and soy crop , not to name that it ’s usable in most home and garden storage as a sens killer whale . On wheat and soy crops , and now on sugar crop , the chemical is used on the works right before harvest . This is called a “ mature ” atomiser applications programme . When the plant is expose to the chemical substance , it knows it ’s drop dead , so it send up more semen or fruit ( this is the part that is harvested ) , making harvest self-aggrandising .
Make no fault , glyphosate is bad hooey . It ’s unclear when exactly glyphosate was routinely introduced to sugarcane harvests , but grounds hint somewhere between 2004 and 2008 . Glyphosate has been linked to an teemingness of health result including Crab and destroying the intestine microbiome . But this issue is twofold , and it ’s not just the chemicals : Glyphosate is also responsible for for destroy an copiousness of pollinator habitat , too , do eatage scarce in other agency .
Honey Is Better—And What Bees Are Made For
If you absolutely must feed your bees — whether you feel like you ’re doing them a ill turn by not prey them , or you believe they really will buy the farm without intervention — make certain to feed them beloved . It is , after all , the perfect nutrient for bee . They ’ve gathered the resource , create the product and stored it away for winter . If you see that a beehive make a surplusage on a given class ( more than 40 to 60 pound , which is the lower limit they need to make it winter ) , put it away for a prison term of dearth . I keep at least one super full of capped honey ( still in form ) stash away in the freezer — per hive . That way of life I can reap any redundant beloved beyond that amount and know I still have a pullout . Just in casing .
I ’m not convinced we should n’t continue feed bees . It ’s a continuing question among beekeepers as a whole , because we must consider the changes in our surroundings — building of infrastructure proceed to destroypollinator habitat , and mood variety has areas of the world fire up to record highs , and rapidly . I wonder whether , in the year to follow , it might be difficult to grow the flowers for the bees that they ’ve become habitual to . We all might have to adapt — the growers , the beekeepers and the bees . I strongly encourage you to do your own enquiry in this expanse . Read the studies , engage in dialogue with your fellow beekeeper and ask the important , difficult questions .
