| Plants have a glandular secretion, called nectar, which | | | | beekeeper must stay aware of the conditions of the |
| usually collects at the base of the flowers. Bees | | | | colony and the inspections will accomplish this. During |
| depend on this nectar for their source of energy. | | | | the early spring the beekeeper must be aware of |
| Honeybees dehydrate nectar to produce honey | | | | the food supply and if it is enough. During the late |
| because it contains a low to moderate concentration | | | | spring the beekeeper must be attentive to the |
| of sugar. If a little pollen is incorporated into it, there | | | | possibility of swarming to keep it under control. Every |
| can be barely measurable amounts of proteins, | | | | inspection should inform the beekeeper if the bees |
| vitamins and other nutrients in the nectar. | | | | have adequate food to get them through the times |
| There is two different ways bees use nectar. The | | | | of bad weather. If they have enough to get them |
| nectar will work as a substitute for water, used to | | | | through until the next inspection, the beekeeper will |
| dilute brood food and air condition the hive. The bees | | | | again check their supply. If not, then the bees will |
| can also ripen the nectar to become a stored | | | | have to be fed. |
| resource for carbohydrate. The nectar substitute can | | | | In the spring beekeepers will always feed the bees a |
| also be used in either one of those ways, but the | | | | pollen substitute and if the bees need to be fed |
| beekeeper use different sugar concentrations for | | | | sugar syrup. The sugar syrups fed early in the |
| different purposes. | | | | season are used for brood rearing rable amounts of |
| Inspections of the colony should be conducted about | | | | proteins, vitamins and other nutrients in the nectar. |
| every ten days during early and late spring. A | | | | Learn more about beekeeping. |