Why August can be a hungry month for honeybees despite summer

August 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 give bees valuable food when they need it most.Why August is difficult for beesHoneybees do not experience every season in the same way. Spring can be a period of abundance, with trees such as willow, cherry and horse chestnut producing large amounts of blossom. These flowers provide nectar and pollen at a time when many colonies are expanding and raising new workers.By late summer, however, the flowering landscape c...