Why August can be a hungry month for honeybees despite summer

Representative imageAugust may look like a busy month in a garden, meadow or city park, but for honeybees, late summer can be surprisingly difficult. New research from the University of Sussex has found that honeybees expend more effort and gain less energy while collecting nectar in late July and August than during much of spring. The study, published in Functional Ecology, used direct observations of bee movements and flower visits in green spaces around Brighton and Edinburgh. As reported by Phys.org, researchers believe the seasonal “nectar gap” is linked to fewer flowers blooming and stronger competition among pollinators. The findings offer a practical message for gardeners, councils and land managers: allowing late-summer weeds such as thistles, ragwort and knapweed to flower could