BOMMER'S BEES: Blooms becoming more scarce as summer nears end
The Carolina Beekeepers Association just concluded its summer meeting in Charleston. We were there from Thursday through Saturday, with speakers and activities from early morning till after supper. A bee yard was set up to take people through various stages of learning. A comprehensive honey show was conducted with many entries.
The subject that we need to examine are the bees in-structures. Bee’s swarm as a means to increase the colony. The old queen will leave with half of the workers and form a new home. When bees were brought to this country in the 1600s they preceded the Europeans westward by two years. Thus, bee behavior has not changed much.
Swarms will set up housekeeping in houses and other structures if they are not captured by a beekeeper. If bees are in a home, one should look to the internet to locate a beekeeper who does removals. There is a fee for removals, and it is not uncommon to say I can get rid of them with a product from a local store. There will be a small amount of honey and a brood in the bee’s nest. If there are no bees to protect these broods and honey, it will die leaving an inviting path for other insects and rodents. As the honey absorbs moisture it will sour and smell like vinegar and turn the sheetrock black. My personal advice to locate someone who does bee removals and pay the fee so you do not have the other problems happen.
Wild blooms are simply scarce at this time. As you ride around look for the kudzu and lift the leaves and you will find a beautiful bloom; most people never get to experience their beauty. Early next month you will begin to see the sumac start to bloom. It has a very delicate white bloom. Examining these blooms you should find a number of native pollinators in brilliant colors taking a taste of the nectar.
At the time of this printing, early cotton will begin blooming. Cotton in some areas is a viable honey source, generally on the east side if Highway 3. In the areas it produces it will be abundant. This is good news for the bee program at Allendale Correctional as their bees will have access to early to mid-season cotton blooms.
