Unraveling the myths and mysteries of bees.

Unraveling the myths and mysteries of bees. 

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 a vegetarian diet, 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 at about sixty percent water. Bees expose it to the 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 unprocessed 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.

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.

Preparing homes for solitary bees, like Mason bees, and Leaf-cutter bees in wood. Drill 5/16" holes, 6 inches deep, ensure some roof-type section to keep the rain out, and hang min 3 feet off the ground facing southeast. Critical- they need a source of moist clay nearby.

  

 See more resource links (at the 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 a 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.  

 UVM's Carse property Friday Field Walk photos

LaPlatte River Marsh Area Friday Field Walk Photos