Our honeybees are off across the hills enjoying the last bit of nectar before winter. The shortening daylight hours and the cool night temps are signaling the end of the harvest season for beekeepers everywhere. Honeybees will not be able to collect nectar during the cold winter months even though they may fly out on warm days. They must have sufficient stored honey and pollen to meet their needs until the first blossoms of late winter/early spring. The fall flow in our area will sometimes result in a small amount of honey for the beekeeper but it is usually reserved for adding to the bees winter storage.
The Fall Flow (if you are lucky enough to have one in your area) will consist of many flowers – some of which are not very noticeable. One of the most showy is the Goldenrod. There are different types of 
Goldenrod and the amount of nectar they secrete will vary between types and weather conditions. Remember, just because you see a beautiful bloom does not guarantee a good fall nectar flow. Observing Goldenrod in bloom in a field or along the roadside, you will notice not only honeybees but also many different types of wasps, bumblebees and other pollinators. All of these insects are enjoying the last nectar and pollen of the season. The honeybees will hopefully overwinter as a group in their hive and the reproductive “queen” wasps and bumblebees will hibernate and start a new family group next Spring.
Sawtooth Sunflower blooms from mid-August to late October in moist areas and partial shade. This plant is good for bees and serves as browse for deer also.
Aromatic Aster (above right) is a small plant you will find from mid-September to November in sunny fields and woodland edges. Several different types of Aster contribute to our bees needs and provide nectar until a deep freeze.
One of the most important tasks for a beekeeper is to make sure their managed bee colony has sufficient winter food before cold weather begins. Once a deep freeze has killed all the available blooms, the bees will only find a few sheltered blossoms until the first dandelions of Spring.
Protecting Your Bees with Nite Guard
Beekeepers are charged with protecting their colonies from pests, diseases, environmental conditions and predators. It is common to think of your bees as pets – even though they are considered “livestock” by USDA. Beekeepers in many areas of the country deal with predators such as : skunks, opossums, bears and humans. All of these “animals” may cause problems for your bees in the upstate of South Carolina.
Nite-Guard is a solar powered predator deterrent. Charged by the sun during the day, the solar light activates at dusk and flashes all night. Nite Guard is weather-proof and earth friendly. Safe for people, pets and livestock – it looks like a security camera and may even deter intruders. Many wild animals are distrustful of the flashing red light that signals danger. While no items works in every situation with every type of predator, these lights have proven very beneficial for many users around the county.
Placement of your nite-guard lights will vary depending on the type of animal you are targeting. The company has a great website that gives the consumer tips and ideas to ensure the best use of the product. Nite Guard
Bee Well Honey is proud to offer Nite Guard to our customers for use in your beeyard, garden or home.
Nite Guard
Package Bees Are Coming
Kerry Owen has the red freightliner loaded down with package bees for our sold out bee day tomorrow ! Hundreds of excited beekeepers will be at the Pickens store bright and early Saturday morning to pick up bees that they have preordered. Each box of bees contains a mated queen, approximately 3# (10,000) bees and a can of sugar syrup for the journey. (You take snacks when you travel right ?) Bees need constant energy and this can of sugar will provide that until the new owners get them home and in a hive.
WOW, that’s ALOT of bee packages.
Kerry is very serious about providing good package bees for our customers. He does not have them shipped but actually goes and picks up the bees himself. These Italian Hygenic bees will fill up hives all across the upstate. Some beekeepers will experiment with new lines by replacing the Italian queen with one of the Carniolan Queens we have in stock. We stock all the bees supplies you might need.
Bee Day is always an exciting time and we are opening one hour early tomorrow to allow excited beekeepers to get those bees soon. We hope that everyone has their equipment ready and some sugar water already mixed as feeding new packages is very important.
We have several more bees days planned for the next few weeks and still have a few available for sale. Visit our Bees for sale page or call (864) 898-5122 to place your order. Spring is a great time to get started in bees and we will be glad to help you on your beekeeping journey.
Now, if you see a lot of excitement at Bee Well Honey early in the morning…. you will know why !
Will you be ordering honeybees for Spring delivery ? Thousands of beekeepers across the US need new packages of honeybees each year. The bees usually come from the Southern Regions (especially Georgia) because the milder winters make it more economical to build up colony size for an early Spring delivery. Beekeepers order packages of bees for several reasons: to replace colonies that die out over the winter, to increase the number of hives in their apiary and excited new beekeepers who are starting with bees for the first time.
Honeybees are not in unlimited supply so the early delivery dates sell out fast. It is not unusual for beekeepers to order bees in October that will be delivered in March and April. It is a simple matter of supply and demand. Getting the new packages of bees as early as your season allows will help insure that they are in the hive and ready to take advantage of the Spring season nectar flow.
Each year, Bee Well Honey sells hundreds of packages of honeybees and has done so for over ten years. We have many repeat customers who order honeybees from us each year. Your bees arrive in a screen and wooden cage that contains approximately 3# of bees (Italian mix), a can of syrup and a young mated queen bee (held in a special cage.)
Ordering honeybee packages is a great way to get started with bees. Bee Well is taking orders now for 2015. Place your order now to reserve your space and pay in early January.
http://beewellhoneyfarm.com/beekeeping-supplies/
