# Bees Gathering Sap



## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

I have seen honey bees do that on a maple tree, sucking up the sap.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

Almost every spring on my maples. Hey, a harvest is a harvest right? Even to the bees!


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Perhaps they use it to make propolis?


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Last year as the sap was starting to flow, an oak blew down across the driveway. As I cut it up to firewood size, our bees, who were just getting out and desperate for forage, landed in large numbers on the cut ends and started working the outer rings, where you expect sap to be flowing.

Hummingbirds migrate a couple of days behind sapsuckers. They visit the sapsucker holes in trees and drink the sap, which is pretty similar in composition to nectar.


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

At a recent Michael Palmer seminar in Geneva NY he advised to get those supers on early! Get some maple honey! We have been supering our hives early as part of swarm prevention for a few years now and do get the tastiest Spring honey!


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

Thanks for the interesting replies. I think tomorrow I'm going to have to taste it!

Alex


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