Changing Seasons

We are all aware that our climate is changing, and you only have to think about weather patterns over

the past few years to understand the uncertainty this causes. Whatever you do, whether it’s working with crops or livestock, renovating a house, or planting your garden/veggie patch, you need to know what to expect from the weather. Current scientific thinking states that more ‘extreme weather events’ are likely to occur in the near future, along with dramatic rises in air and sea temperatures. All of this will have, and is already having, an effect on life on earth, and as everything is interconnected, the challenges are complex.

What does all this mean for beekeepers? More and more we have to take notice of how things are changing and try to help our bees cope. Heatwaves are no fun for us and even less so for our bees. They work hard all year round to keep their environment inside the hive at a constant temperature, and while we worry about them keeping warm enough in winter, it’s easy to forget that they need to keep cool enough in summer. Water is required not just for them to drink but to keep the brood, the baby bees, hydrated, so they don’t dry out and die in the cells. The future of a colony lies in its queen continuing to lay healthy eggs that develop successfully into efficient workers – if there is a shortage of essential water or food then the colony may instruct the queen to stop laying. The knock-on effect of this is to reduce the number of bees in the colony at a time when more are needed to collect stores for the winter months.

Just as we stay indoors (or at least in the shade), at the hottest part of the day, bees reduce their foraging activity at higher temperatures. This is typically linked to the fact that nectar is also not as readily available in these circumstances. Bees will reduce their foraging distances during heatwaves to mitigate the risk of overheating; their jobs will change from foraging for pollen and nectar to collecting water. Warmer winters cause problems too. Instead of semi-hibernating, the bees will be active, consuming stores and even raising brood. While foraging flights may be possible, food sources are likely to be few and far between.

Warmer weather may herald longer mating seasons with new queens and drones being produced earlier than usual, and perhaps for longer – but the accompanying wetter weather will have an adverse effect on mating opportunities. Drone brood can be neglected if there is a perceived problem e.g. lack of nectar due to hot weather, and this in turn means that the resulting drones are not as strong or as virile. The queens are then poorly mated and in turn this leads to weaker colonies.

Heat exhaustion can be sneaky and creep up on anyone, so if you are a beekeeper remember to keep your hive inspection times to a minimum and do them on cooler days if possible. Stay hydrated and don’t do any heavy lifting unless it’s absolutely necessary. Be aware too of the risk of fires if you use a smoker – ensure it is put out properly and definitively when you have finished with it.

All of this sounds a bit grim and doom-saying (who doesn’t like a sunny day?) but we do need to be aware of the possible ramifications of climate change on our bees. Honey bees are resourceful and will face up to the challenges ahead, but if we can help them, let’s do it. Put out some water for your bees and have a drink yourself!