It is interesting to notice how in Vermont the wants of the bee are met from early spring till late autumn. Field work for the honeybees begins in April when, if the weather cooperates, you will see them probing into the silky catkins on Pussy Willow bushes and Swamp Alders. Maple Syrup producers have only recently pulled their taps from the Sugar Maple trees, when the bees are beginning to visit the small flower of these trees and their soft maple cousins.
The first heavy nectar flow of the spring comes with the Dandelion bloom, which can he as high as 60 pounds. Most of these spring honeys are left in the hive to fuel the rebuilding of hive populations which have declined drastically during the winter months. The same is true of the flow from Vermont's Apple trees, though pure Apple Honey, in the rare year when the beekeeper can extract a little, is exquisite; it has the delicate taste and scent of the Apple flowers themselves.
