I thought my bees were going to town this summer and I'd have heaps of honey, despite the drought. Alas, DEARTH is here and honey-season is over. Dearth is the period where most blossoms have ended and the bees have no pollen or nectar sources. It can be a tricky transition time for a hive. Usually it happens about the same time blackberries turn from blossoms to fruit. A hive will kick out it's drones, scale down, and get set for winter. In the Pacific Northwest where winters are mild, this turns into bee-feeding season. Pollen and sugar-water will help keep the hive healthy through fall and give enough stores to last into winter.
I went into my hive today expecting at least one frame of honey and found... these bees need to be fed, pronto! They are almost out of honey themselves. No honey for me.
Side Note: Check out this cool site:
http://www.nativebeeconservancy.org
They have great info and pictures on all the native bees. (which I've been seeing more variety of this summer).
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