A Beekeeper's Yard

Beekeepers never really have grassy lawns - we have weeds and wildflowers!  All of this is "bee food"! To many folks in the urban areas, a lawn full of dandelions is considered bad and hundreds of dollars are spent on weed killer and many hours spent digging out the weeds.  I realize that in some neighborhoods there are city ordinances regarding dandelions.  But out here in the country we don't worry about that, and our bees are grateful for the food and pollen!  Right now our yard is buzzing so loud with thousands of bees, all working the dandelions, woodland flowers and wild plum blossoms.  When we walk out the front door the 'roar of the bees' can be almost deafening!  But that is the sound of honey making (and later on, money making!).  We are so thankful that we can live in the country where we don't have ordinances about weeds and wildflowers.

  I took a few photos of various areas of our yard.   There are many areas all over the place in everyone's yard that our bees are working now.   Bees will go up to 3 miles for food and pollen, although most of our bees only have to stick around our yard.   I can hardly walk around without almost stepping on bees working the dandelions.  I do have to mow the yard this week, but I mow in the morning before they get out of the hive, or in the early evening when the bees are back into the hives, and I only mow a section a day so as to leave plenty of areas for the bees to work.   Soon the dandelions will be gone, and other flowers such as birdsfoot trefoil, basswood flowers, and wild asters and clovers will be their food of choice.

What a buffet of dandelions for the bees!

Another area of "bee food" - you can see what a paradise this is for our bees!

Some of these dandelions are 6 inches tall and 2 inches in diameter - really big ones for bee food!

A couple of our hard working forage bees on the dandelions.

The bees are lined up in front of the hives to bring in the nectar and pollen.  All 8 of our hives are busy now with active bees.