Bees are so important - Here’s how to help them in winter
Brrrrr. It’s really getting cold out there – we’ve really been feeling the chill in the early mornings and know for sure that winter really is almost on our doorstep! This means it’s time for us to consider the other, more fragile creatures on our planet – those that struggle in winter. Bees fall into this category. In order to survive in winter, or times of drought, bees need a helping hand from humans. In light of our recently celebrated International Earth Day, as well as World Bee Day, we are mindful of the incredibly important part they play on our planet, and without them us humans would not be able to survive. If bees did not pollinate our plants then we wouldn’t have new plants. This would mean fewer trees and flowers to purify the air, as well as a massive decrease in fruit and vegetable plants, leading to a lack of food.
We share some simple, yet effective ways you can help bees this winter.
Feeding Bees – Why Do We Need to Do It?
Bees need a diet that contains as many pollen sources as possible in order to produce vital enzymes that help detoxify their bodies from diseases and pesticides. This helps them build healthy and resistant immune systems, and without which they often become malnourished which can lead to starvation, the major cause of bee deaths. When bees are well-fed, they are stronger and more likely to survive winter and droughts, so that they can rear more young bees and continue to pollinate our world.
When You Should Feed Bees
When there is little natural forage or when a bee colony is low in stored food supplies, is when it is necessary to feed them. In South Africa, we only have limited forage, and this is further reduced by wildfires and droughts. In the winter months, bees use honey stored in their hives for food as there is often a shortage of flowering plants that are rich in nectar. However, sometimes the stored honey is insufficient, which is when we need to feed these hungry insects. By supplementing their food, we are able to not only help the colony, but also the queen bee!
What You Should Feed Bees
Bee’s will only eat honey from their own hive. By feeding them honey you have purchased, you risk spreading bee diseases which can infect the hive, and the smell can attract robbing bees to enter another hive. Its definitely a no-go! You can either feed bees with sugar, or with pollen, and we’ll shed some light on both options.
SUGAR
Create a sugar syrup by mixing white sugar (NOT raw sugar, brown sugar or molasses) with an equal part water (1:1 dilution) to create a sugar syrup. Use warm water to help dissolve the sugar, but do not heat or boil the mixture. If you want to make a thicker syrup, use a ration of 2:1, increasing the sugar. Experts recommend starting the feeding with 1 litre of syrup which will last a few days. Place the syrup in a shallow dish with some twigs, straw or stones in for the bees to access the syrup without drowning. If you have a hive in your garden you can place this underneath or find a safe place out of harm’s way for the bees to enjoy the syrup.
POLLEN
The best way to feed bees in your garden is to include as many varieties of pollen-bearing plants as possible and try to include some plants that bloom in summer and others that bloom in winter, providing bees with food all year round. Gorgeous fragrant flowers with open centers are always a good option. We share some more tips on attracting bees (and birds) to your garden here. You can chat to your local nursery about which plants to include, or chat to our experts at Eco Balance for some ‘sweet’ advice.
