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Unraveling the myths and mysteries of bees. Uvm Friday Field Walk.
The insect order Hymenoptera is massive. Of the 115,000 described species of these membrane-winged insects, 20,000 are bees. Nearly 1/5 of those pollen-eaters live within the borders of Canada and the U.S.
Two bee essentials (two pairs of membranous wings and vegetarian diets mostly).
UVM Friday Field Walk held at the BTV Intervale and Greenmount Cemetery. Field Naturalist, Gabe Andrews helped us explore the truths and trials of the world's greatest pollinators.
Attendees: Gabe, Ellen, Sean, Nancy Wright (SB Methodist pastor), Linda, Glen, Shelby, Sam (local historian), Katherine, Jessie, Glen, Bernie.
The frame interior is a wax foundation imprinted with octagon shapes to hold the maximum amount and weight of honey, nectar, and pollen.
Nectar comes in as about sixty percent water. Bees expose it to air to dry and transform it into honey. In its' lifetime a honeybee makes about a quarter teaspoon of honey. It takes about 2 million flower visits to create one pound of honey.
The queen bee lays up to fifteen hundred eggs daily and is queen of a hive for two to three years. The queen only has one mating which provides enough sperm for the duration of her egg laying. She lays primarily worker bees.
Worker bees work their way up the caste system. For example, they are responsible for cleaning, feeding, perhaps moving up to guarding the hive, and then harvesting. Drone bees' only responsibility is to find a mate.
Processed honey is heated or run through a pressurized filter. One way to identify un-processed honey is to look for specs of pollen in the honey.
Unprocessed honey can be used effectively to help heal wounds. The honey acts like hydrogen peroxide - (as a powerful antiseptic) and antibacterial among other benefits.
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| Propolis or bee glue is a resinous mixture that honey bees collect from tree buds or sap flows. They use it to seal unwanted openings. |
Preparing homes for solitary bees, like Mason bees, and Leaf-cutter bees. Common Reed (Phragmites australis) is a Vermont invasive. The woody material makes for a quick-to-install solitary bee home. Face the material southeast and ideally block one end of the tubes.
See more resource links (at bottom of this posting) about the Mason bee, a Vermont native, a solitary bee that rarely stings, (feels like a mosquito bite), and which is many times more effective pollinator than the European honeybee.
Along with spring flowers, Maple and Willow trees are good sources of early food for bees.
Bees have been around for as long as flowers. Bees evolved from wasps.
Bees get protein from pollen and carbohydrates from nectar.
Ground nesting bees like well-drained soils. The hole above was one of many nearby (aggregation nesting of solitary mining bees).
Bernie publishes short stories and photos reflecting Vermont's values of Green and Clean and Community.
LaPlatte River Marsh Area Friday Field Walk Photos
MASON BEES:
docile, excellent pollinator, and native Vermont bee. Solitary Mason Bees Growing a Greener World. (Video)
Mason Bees Micro Documentary. Premies.com (Video)
Handbook for beekeepers. (170 pages)
Why bees are disappearing (TED Talk - video)
Mason Bees Micro Documentary. Premies.com (Video)
Handbook for beekeepers. (170 pages)
Why bees are disappearing (TED Talk - video)
How to build a mason bee block Audubon - Bring on the Bees
How to construct a wood mason bee house. Penn State Extension
How to construct a wood mason bee house. Penn State Extension
Crown Bees bee company. The website has lots of Mason bee info and items for sale. They even buy mason bees. And if you sign up for their newsletter you get periodic timely info on caring for your mason bees and other mason bee tips.
Managing Alternate Pollinators (PDF handbook) Mason Bees - pg 54The Little World. The video follows a female Mason Bee through her life as she raises a new generation.
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