Early Spring Awakening: First Feast for Our Bees

As winter's grip begins to loosen across West Berkshire, our industrious little friends are starting to venture out on warmer days, and what a sight awaits them! The delicate nodding heads of snowdrops are creating a stunning white carpet across our local woodlands, offering one of the first vital sources of nectar and pollen for our honey bees.

These remarkable early bloomers, alongside winter aconites and early crocuses, play a crucial role in supporting our colonies during the transition from winter to spring. While many might think bees are still dormant this time of year, on milder days when temperatures reach above 10°C (50°F), our foragers eagerly set out to gather these precious early resources.

Bright Orange Snow Drop Pollen

At Ben's Berkshire Bees, we're particularly excited to see our bees making their first proper foraging flights of the year. These early nectar sources help stimulate brood rearing within the hive, which is essential for building up strong colonies ready for the main spring nectar flow.

Did you know? A single snowdrop flower might seem small, but to a hungry bee emerging from winter, it's like finding a goldmine. These early flowers are rich in both pollen and nectar, providing vital protein and carbohydrates that help our bees bridge the gap between winter stores and spring abundance.

For garden owners, now is the perfect time to plan your bee-friendly garden for the upcoming season. Consider planting early-flowering bulbs this autumn to support next year's early foragers. Some excellent choices include:

• Snowdrops (Galanthus)

• Winter aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

• Crocus

• Hellebores

As we move through February and into March, we'll start to see even more variety in flowering plants, but these early pioneers deserve special recognition for supporting our precious pollinators during the lean months.

This year we are particularly excited by the Snowdrops as for the first time our honey, honey soaps are available to buy at the Welford Park Snowdrops. This is honey from the Welford Estate.

Keep an eye on our social media @bensberkshirebees for more updates about our bees' activities and the changing seasons in our apiaries across West Berkshire.