Super Bee Day

With nectar flow practically in full force, this weekend was the perfect time to put on a second super for my bees. I set up my beehive in October, which was a bit of a gamble, but with some luck -- and an extremely mild winter -- the bees are thriving.

Every morning this month they've been congregating at the entrance, almost as if they've run out of room within the one super. Hopefully this new one finds them well.

Two plants they've been all over this spring -- rosemary and a meyer lemon tree I keep in a pot on my deck. But, there's also plenty of trees in bloom, which is where bees get most of their nectar, as well as some early flowers.

For zone 7, the tree hotspots for bees right now are:
Star Magnolia
Saucer Magnolia
Dogwoods (just starting to blossom)
Fruit trees like plums and pears, and of course, CHERY TREES!

Due to the very favorable winter, the cherry blossoms arrived several weeks ahead of schedule -- much to the chagrin of the Parks Service, which counts on tourists to attend the festival -- but the bees will definitely benefit from the famous flowers. With all these nectar sources in full force, make sure to give your bees plenty of space so they'll have enough room for summer honey.