We jazz that one of the main jobs of the Apis mellifera is to collect nectar and pollen . A little more inquiry tells us that the forager , or field of study bee , actively seeks out nectar , collecting it to bring back to the beehive for her sisters to turn intohoney . She collects pollen , too , but it ’s inadvertent : The pollen grains sequester to the bee ’s fuzz as she visits the heyday in lookup of nectar . She then brush them into pollen baskets on her low legs , and carry them home to the hive , along with a beloved tummy full of nectar .
But there are two more critical component in the honeybee beehive — two more substances that the field bee needs to be concerned with . We ’re talking , of course , about water and propolis . Bees actively forage for these element , too .
Water
This critical earth element is as important for honeybee as it is for humans . Compared to their other needs , the colony ’s water requirements are relatively low . They go through about 7 oz. in one daylight , but those ounce go a long style toward ensuring their survival . Here ’s how :
Field bee forage for body of water will typically chance the source unaired to the beehive . As a beekeeper , you do n’t take to do anything peculiar to furnish your colonies with water — they are quite skilful at find it on their own , and in fact , mineral and salt message , constituent organisms , and other elements factor the bee ’ preference for their water source , so they favour to meet their own need . However , some neighbors may be put off when Apis mellifera frequent their backyard hoses , leaky faucet , rain drum collection systems , pools or other water features . In this case , you may opt to put up a weewee reservoir near your house or hive to keep your water forager close to home . If you’re able to , use spring water or rain water and debar city water that is often heavily treated and chlorinate .
Propolis
Propolis , often called bee glue by beekeepers , is pretty cool stuff . As the nickname suggests , this substance is incredibly sticky and gummy , acting like glue in the hive . The bee habituate it to seal gaps , cracks and crevices . It ’s often a chestnut brown color , and in the summer , when warm , it ’s quite pliable . When cold , however , it becomes rather hard and brittle .
Foraging bee hoard propolis from a wide potpourri of tree source , gathering the natural rosin from new bud and tree sap . What ’s most singular is how the bee are able-bodied to garner it , devolve home with it , and transfer it to their sisters without becoming burdened by the stickiness of the fabric . Unlike unloadingpollen , ambrosia or H2O , rejoin propolis forager really ask assistance from their baby to remove the centre from their pollen baskets .
Some colonies are more propolis - weighed down than others , and we do n’t really understand why . Within the same framework of conditions — same microclimate , same stock of bee , same beehive management elan — some colony will simply roll up and utilize more propolis than others . For the apiarist , it ’s the luck of the draw play .
Any apiarist who has spent a year with a couple of hives will tell you that bee gum is serious business concern — it ’s sometimes quite heavy to remove and certainly a adept work out for your hive tool . But there ’s nothing quite like that satisfyingcrrrrrrACK!sound when you finally separate the out lid from the top superintendent and get into the hive . And truth be severalize , propolis is n’t all bad . Collect the extra from your hive tool ( or scrape a bit off the top frames after inspection ) into a small jounce while working your hives . It earn an excellent tincture to heal a variety of ailments , and a little goes a long mode . I just wish someone would state that to the bees !
