Honey Bee Forage (Month, Region) - NASA Honey Bee Project

[ScienceGirl]

NASA has a honey bee project. One of the things that they do is record data showing how global warming affects the relationship of honey bees and forage sources. (Global warming causes plants to flower earlier in the season, when honey bees and other pollinators are still in the hive, keeping warm. The flowers don't get pollinated and don't produce much, if any, fruit. When the honey bees come out, there aren't as many sources to collect pollen, their protein, and nectar, their carbohydrate, from.)

There are many things to learn from this site. If you are a beekeeper you can see the times of forage for your area.

HoneyBeeNet

Nasa.gov Goddard Space Flight Center

Main Webpage http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/Forage_info.htm

 

[Rick]

I haven't looked yet but if climate change is causing temps to rise and plants to flower earlier, wouldn't the bees also become active earlier in the year in response to higher temperatures? I know my hives do. Mine become active and forage as low as 40 deg F.

I've been using their data on what is blooming for awhile now.

 

[agent A]

this should be helpful to me, i have orchid girls to feed :devil:

 

[ScienceGirl]

I haven't looked yet but if climate change is causing temps to rise and plants to flower earlier, wouldn't the bees also become active earlier in the year in response to higher temperatures? I know my hives do. Mine become active and forage as low as 40 deg F.

I've been using their data on what is blooming for awhile now.

Maybe it is the sunlight that they are getting? I forget where I got that info, but it was when I was looking up a few reliable honey bee research websites. When I find the place, I'll be sure to post the site.

 

[Rick]

this should be helpful to me, i have orchid girls to feed :devil:

I'm going to assume you're referring to something other than honeybees because if you just came into a beekeeping thread to talk about catching them for mantis food I think that deserves a warn point, and you don't need anymore. :devil:

 

[agent A]

I'm going to assume you're referring to something other than honeybees because if you just came into a beekeeping thread to talk about catching them for mantis food I think that deserves a warn point, and you don't need anymore. :devil:

yeah i dont use honeybees, i use those smaller blackish bees that are out now

as far as honeybees go, my latin teacher and a security guard at school are both restarting their hives now

 

[ScienceGirl]

Well, I hope you're not trying to feed our precious darlings to your mantids. We'll come after you, you know! jk, but we'd be upset, very upset, and Rick and the beekeeping nation would definately set you straight.

BTW, DON'T FEED PASSING FORAGER BEES HONEY!!! Honey with disease spores, such as the hive-threatening American Foulbrood, European Foulbrood, and Nosema, can live for up to 100 years. Honey that has been infected with these spores is safe for human consumption, but the spores can infect the whole colony and cause its downfall. Please let them do their busywork, and let the beekeeper do the emergency feeding. Offering water in shallow dishes filled with pebbles is much appreciated, as long as it's clean and nonchlorinated. The girls (meaning bees) would love it!