Honey Bees and Maple

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

Morning Everyone,
Third year making syrup, third year keeping bees. This will be my first time getting hives through a Wisconsin winter. I am curious about what to expect when we warm up next week and the sap is running and the bees are flying?
I will also be boiling outside this year, about 100 feet from my bee hives. No choice in the matter at this point. Am I going to be skimming bees out of the syrup pan, or do I need to put up a mesh tent? :)

[Flat Rock Farmers]

Hi Duncan!
Our hives are right behind our sugarhouse, maybe 30 feet or so away. We've had them for four seasons or so and have never seen any interest from them
with the arch and such. The biggest thing I've noticed was a big interest in softwood resins on the end of our sugar wood if we have a bunch in the wood shed.
I think by the time it's warn enough for them to be out actively foraging, they're more interested in pollen from the daffodils, poplars and pussy willows. Not so sure
how they'd be with your sweet being out in the open pans though. It could make it interesting!

[jrm]

I'm not a bee keeper, but find this interesting. When we boiled on Sunday, I had a lone bee come and check things out a couple times. It did however, stay a bit away from the pans themselves. I figured maybe the heat or steam was a warning bell.

[Ray_Nagle]

My hives are also about 100 ft from my stove. Bees were very active yesterday when I did my final boil of the season, but I never saw a bee near the pan. I also never saw bees in my collection buckets.

[PA TAPPER]

I have 2 hives 50 feet from my sugar house. Have had them show interest in raw sap weeping from a tap hole but not syrup during processing.

[Ravenseye]

I've never had a problem with the bees bothering me while I boil. I do see some on warm days at the taps. Not many but a few here and there. You should be fine.

[saphound]

I read a post from DR.Tim in some other thread that said maple was not a good source of sugar for honeybees. He couldn't recall why, just that it wasn't. The bees probably know.

[psparr]

It has to do with the type of sugar. I forget, invert or covert. He he. You'll find bees in all kinds of weird things. Doubt a little syrup will hurt. As long as they don't get addicted.

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

It has to do with the type of sugar. I forget, invert or covert. He he. You'll find bees in all kinds of weird things. Doubt a little syrup will hurt. As long as they don't get addicted.

If they get addicted, they can start helping me collect! LOL

Thank you everyone for the responses, I am now thinking that I will not have a big problem!!!

[Noah's Ark]

my hives are about 100 feet or so from my shack. I have never had them around the evaporator only the wood pile and gathering water from the collected rain on the tarps covering the wood. I did find one in a bucket this year for the first time, may have just been bored and the weather was nice so she was out exploring. Hope all your hives made it through the winter.

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

Today the bees should be flying, high of 58, and my taps are all in and dripping. Should be interesting to see what they do! Thanks again for all the responses to my question!

[Steve WI]

I probably had 15-20 drowned bees in my sap bags today. I did manage to pick a few swimmers up on my finger tip and give them a flick.

Steve

[wbreitbarth]

It has to do with the type of sugar. I forget, invert or covert. He he. You'll find bees in all kinds of weird things. Doubt a little syrup will hurt. As long as they don't get addicted.

They pry have not started work for the season and want to get wasted on sap before there busy season. "we have all been there " :lol: They stay in the sap so they don't have to deal with there spouse when they get back to the hive!