Although Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year and the first day of SUMMER, it is also the first indicator to beekeepers that the honeybees will start winding down their activities in preparation for fall and winter. I know it doesn’t seem possible to think of fall and winter since the temperatures will still be rising yet the bees (and their keepers) are planning.
Until now, the girls have been so busy building up their populations in the hives here on the farm, putting away pollen and nectar so they can feed the queen and their abundant population as well as making honey with their surplus. Now things will begin to slow down and it is the time to start thinking of honey extraction.
Bees are such fascinating creatures in tune with the weather and the seasons. They amaze me every day and I feel privileged to watch them.