inside: Here are 13 reasons why honey yields are low. Learn to recognize what you can do to help your bees, but also understand what you can’t control.

Common reasons for low honey yields

Nothing is more discouraging than harvesting a small amount of honey, especially when the bees look energetic and busy. Worse, I’ve seen frames full of honey earlier this year, only to find them empty during harvest time. what happened?

Unfortunately, many things can interfere with a colony’s ability to store honey. Some are out of your control, but some can be fixed by an experienced administrator. Experienced beekeepers are learning how to help their bees during times of bee shortage, so they can get more yields.

Now let’s look at potential problems.

1. Bad weather keeps bees trapped indoors

Bad weather is coming. Anyone who grows plants knows there are good years and bad years, but mostly in between.

Weather conditions such as excessive rain, wind, heat and cold affect plant growth, flowering and nectar production. But bad weather also affects the bees themselves. Bees do not fly during heavy rains, excessive winds, and cold temperatures as they are dangerous.

If the flowers bloom while the bees are congregating in the hive, honey production will suffer. It’s not your fault, but it’s discouraging anyway.

2. Climate change will prolong honey shortages

Climate change is making summer nectar shortages longer and hotter. Bees store large amounts of honey in the spring to prepare for summer shortages, but if the shortage persists for too long, they use up even more honey.

During long, hot summers without flowers, bee colonies can easily eat up what they gather in the spring. In some cases supplementary feed may be required.

3. Lack of water causes overheating of hives

Like most animals, bees need a constant supply of water to survive. Each bee needs water for proper health, respiration and digestion.

Additionally, the colony as a whole needs water to regulate the temperature of the nest and to feed the young birds. If your bees don’t have a natural source of water, be sure to provide them with water.

4. Fewer flowers means less nectar

It’s easy to forget that the vegetation near the apiary can change from year to year. When farmers plant clover each spring, bees (and you) want a reward. But if that farmer switches to hay, the bees have to go elsewhere.

Similarly, grasslands overgrown with wildflowers and weeds can also turn into parking lots. Or maybe less forested land disappears and houses are built. All these changes can interfere with the honey harvest.

Bees usually find alternative sources of nectar, which may be more distant or offer less nectar. This means that bees have to fly farther or work harder to get the same amount of nectar. At the end of the season, you may have less honey than before.

5. Habitat fragmentation changes land use

Part of the lack of nectar-producing plants is habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation is a result of urbanization. The disease occurs in shredded landscapes such as roads, industrial parks, shopping centers, estates, stadiums and golf courses, most of which are hostile to bees.

These not only make bees fly farther, but also pose other dangers. For example, bees crossing the road can be hit by cars, and bees on a golf course can be damaged by pesticides. The water supply may be inadequate or polluted, and the flowers may not be blooming at all.

If your bees live in a developing city or suburb, be aware of anything that can impair their foraging opportunities. Bees may need to travel farther to harvest good honey.

6. Nest placement affects bee behavior

To maximize honey production, bee colonies need morning sun and afternoon shade. This arrangement allows for an early start without heat stress in the late afternoon.

Also, when setting up the hive, avoid hollows and static, stagnant areas. Fresh air and ventilation are equally important. Bees expel moist air from the top while drawing in clean, fresh air from the bottom.

The better the aeration, the faster the honey will harden. A damp hive makes it difficult for the bees to evaporate water from the nectar.

7. Predators reliably harvest small amounts of honey

Predators such as birds, wasps, frogs, skunks, badgers, bears and lizards eat bees. Dead bees don’t produce honey, so watch out for animals that disturb your hive.

If you have yellow hornets, hornets, or other wasps, consider installing security screens to keep them out.

8. Burglar bees steal honey from others

Small or weak hives make it difficult to grow populations and store honey if attacked to steal bees from another hive. This is yet another reason to install a robbery screen.

Once the bee thieves start, they can empty all the honey out of the hive. It is worth learning how to identify stealing bees by their behavior.

Colonies that are close to each other compete with each other. Where food is plentiful, this is less of an issue, but when resources are scarce, colonies that cannot find enough food from flowers often resort to looting.

9. Pathogens and parasites reduce productivity

Naturally, anything that interferes with bee health will reduce honey production. All beekeepers must recognize and treat pathogens and parasites active in their area.

Here in North America, it includes parasites such as varroa mites, tracheal mites, small hives, and naked skin moths. The disease may be associated with parasites or appear alone. Pathogenic diseases include viral, bacterial infections such as American and European rot, or microsporidiasis such as rhinophyma.

To maximize honey production from bees, bees must be protected from these and all other diseases that adversely affect bee health.

10. Queen Bee Health and Genetics Affect Yield

Not all queen bees perform the same when it comes to honey production by their offspring. Your choice of queen stock should be based on what works best in your area. It’s a good idea to talk to a beekeeper who lives near you to find out which varieties work well for your local climate.

11. Timing Administrative Decisions to Maximize Population

Remember, it takes a lot of bees to make a lot of honey. Anything you do to reduce the number of bees just before the nectar flows will reduce honey production.

For example, many beekeepers prefer to divide in early spring when the bee population is growing rapidly. It makes a lot of sense. However, it will greatly affect honey production in split hives. The key is to be aware of how management decisions affect honey production.

12. Nest style can affect honey production

Some nest styles naturally produce more honey than others. Overall, langstross hives produce larger colonies and larger honey crops than wale hives, long hives, or topbar hives.

That doesn’t mean other hives are a problem. It just deals with various problems that beekeepers can have. And remember that honey production depends above all on the skill of the beekeeper.

Keep in mind that birdhouse selection is a personal matter, and there are many reasons to choose one style over another. The amount of honey is just one of many factors.

13. The honey dries quickly because it is well ventilated.

Although the issue of hive ventilation is controversial, many experienced beekeepers believe that the high yield of honey is due to improved ventilation, at least during the honey-producing season. I’m here. A well-ventilated hive allows the bees to harden more honey in less time because the humid air in the hive is quickly replaced with fresh air that can hold more moisture. I can.

Additionally, many of the same beekeepers provide a top entrance for nectar flow. The top entrance not only increases ventilation but also allows nectar-carrying bees quick access to the honey storage area.

For more information on providing top entrances, see Secrets of Surplus: Access Holes with Platforms and Top Entrances Can Enhance Honey Production. Don’t miss “The Upstairs-Downstairs Intrance: better behive access”.

keep realistic expectations

Pay attention to what it takes for a bee to produce a lot of honey so as not to be disappointed. New beekeepers in particular sometimes forget that a new colony must put energy into building nests and raising young in addition to providing food for the winter. Loosen them up a bit by not expecting honey for yourself either.

If you keep thinking about what’s best for your bees, you’ll end up with good honey production. In the meantime, think like a bee and do the most important things first. Bees will reward you in the long run.

Rusty
honeybee suite

about me

My love of bee science is underpinned by a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Crops and a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies. I have written extensively about bees. american b journal and past columns 2 million flowers and bee craft. In recent years, I have taken multiple courses in Meritology and have extensively identified North American honeybees. i Naturalist. My Beekeeping Master Certificate issued by the University of Montana. Click here for details.