There comes a point during the Texas summer (typically July), where there’s a scarcity (dearth) of wildflowers for the honey bees to use as pollinators. During this period, our Hokkaido Ranch beekeepers supplemental feed the bees.
With honey harvested from the supers as the dearth begins, it’s important to make sure the bees don’t go hungry or deplete the stores they’ve stocked up in brood boxes.
However, we want the bees to have opportunities to still enjoy wildflowers. And that’s where sunflowers come in. Because sunflowers bloom during the dearth. In fact, we were pleasantly surprised to see some grow right next to the apiary’s fence this July.
So, in addition to other wildflowers, we’ll be seeding for more sunflowers this fall to make it easier for our bees in the coming years.