“A swarm in May –
is worth a load of hay.
A swarm in June –
is worth a silver spoon.
A swarm in July –
isn’t worth a fly.”

Why is this old adage so often repeated?

Because it tells us a bit about honeybees and their needs. A swarm is the honeybees’ method of reproducing. In a swarm, the entire colony organizes itself so that the “old” queen – the one who flies off to find a new home – takes with her the right number of nurse bees and house bees and worker bees and drones, and leaves behind not only all the honey comb the colony has built, but also all of their existing stores of food, and brood – the “unborn babies” – ensuring that the colony who stays behind can raise their new queen, and she can take her mating flight, and their life can begin again.

In May the colony is likely a bit ahead of itself – a bit small to build up quickly, a bit early in the season for the nectar flow.

In June, things are just right – swarms are larger, nectar and pollen are everywhere, and when they find a place to begin their new colony – they go “gangbusters”!

In July, things are a little bit past prime. The nectar flow has been in full swing for awhile now, and most colonies are already built up to maximum size and strength. A swarm in July may or may not have time to bring in the food stores, and raise the brood they will need to survive the winter.

=======================

Does this attitude match up with yours?

Check us out at www.goldstarhoneybees.com. We do top bar hives exclusively, in appreciation of the beauty and the importance of natural beeswax- for the bees.

We’ve been looking for you – and we'd be proud to be a part of your beekeeping journey.

This blog post was original published on Honey Bee Heroes, and was written by Christy Hemenway, owner of Gold Star Honeybees.