A dearth period in beekeeping is when there is no nectar flow taking place which can be a rough time for bees. With no nectar coming in the bees are restless and the queen can slow her laying down as fresh nectar stimulates her to lay. The main nectar flow in Louisiana usually starts around Mid May and ends in mid June. The main plant that the bees make honey from in South Louisiana is the Chinese Tallow tree. This is an invasive species that has been in the US for over 100 years. It produces a 3-6 inch long tassel that produces tons of nectar and the bees love it. As a beekeeper I love it also, but for many it is a pain in the @$$. It grows just about anywhere and loves pastures and fence lines. It’s hard to control and because it grows so fast it is a constant battle for people who don’t want it on their property. This year was a good year for making honey and my bees did a great job of getting it to the hive. I harvested most of my honey in July, but this week I’m making one final round and harvesting any honey that is still on the hive and getting the bees set up for fall and winter. Once the tallow flow is over there is just not that much for the bees to forage on until the golden rod plant blooms in the fall. After I extract my honey I put my empty supers ( bee boxes) out for the bees to clean which is usually done in a single day, but during a dearth period they will clean them up in a matter of hours. If a good nectar flow is taking place you can put a bowl of honey out and the bees will not touch it. They prefer nectar over honey any day, as long as a good natural flow is on, but when the dearth starts they will devour any thing that has sugar in it. I am including some pictures to show just how many bees will gather to clean up the supers. This is at my house and while it looks insane and to some scary the bees normally aren’t aggressive and you can walk right up and watch them do their work. Y’all stay safe out there and stay cool as the heat is super intense this week especially in the morning.
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