Bees Buzzing in Late Summer

Bees are still popping up everywhere you go these days. Most people think that bees will be disappearing in the late summer and early fall.  However, whenever you head out, they quickly find you.  At the soccer field, apple orchard and even still in your backyard.
This time of year, the bees are getting ready for winter.  This season is particularly important for honeybees, they are not out there just to ruin your fun.  In late summer and fall, worker bees labor long hours, collecting enough nectar to feed and maintain the colony throughout the winter.
Bees visit flowers to obtain carbohydrates (nectar) and protein (found in the pollen). Late-blooming flowers that feed the bees include asters, chrysanthemums, goldenrod and Russian sage. So, if you have these flowers blooming in your yard, chances are you are seeing more bee activity lately.
If bees do not gather enough food for the winter, they are just out of luck and their colonies may not survive the season.  They need to make adequate preparations.  Unlike bees in captivity, they will not be fed with sugar syrup, corn syrup or granulated sugar by their keepers.
Bees usually stay in their hives all winter, however, on some warm winter days, you may see a few bees that come out to clean and take some time to search for more food as a precaution. Just in case they haven’t gathered enough food in the fall to sustain the hive.