This blog will follow the flights, flows and foraging of Embercombe's honeybees.
We currently steward 3 topbar hives and 2 dadant hives.
Embercombe is a landbased social enterprise in Devon, UK existing to 'touch hearts, stimulate minds and inspire
committed action for a truly sustainable world'.
We run courses for beginners.
2013 courses will be in April, May and June.
see here for details

Thursday 10 March 2011

Bees in the Willows

Bees on the Willows at Embercombe - Spring 2011
What a joy it has been to see the bees out around embercombe. The willows, which are in flower now, are particularly busy, some trees covered in bees of all types, including lots of our honeybees (and I wonder if anyone elses...).
I feel like I've encountered a healthily large number of big beautiful bumble bees this year as the earth is reawakening. They join the honeybees on the beautiful willow trees colecting leg-fulls of pollen.

Honeybees collect pollen by gathering it in 'pollen baskets' on their back legs, which are basically a number of hairs designed to hold the pollen particles. Look closely at a hive entrance and you can watch returning foragers carrying a whole spectrum of orange and yellow pollens.

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