The great wheel of the seasons is turning, and fall is just a few days away. There are not as many flowers with nectar and pollen this time of year, and those flowers like goldenrod, asters, sunflowers and vervain are providing a much needed source of food for the bees for winter. Many beekeepers harvest honey at the end of summer. I believe some of the fall flowers provide a much needed source of medicine for the bees, and I do not harvest honey until the spring. I do this because it ensures that the bees have plenty of their own honey for winter instead of sugar water. I think this adds to the medicinal quality of the honey, and provides a darker, more rich honey.
Fall is a wonderful time of year to sit down and observe the bees. It is a nice time to view the different yellows and rich oranges of fall pollen coming into the hive, and the bees seem to be a bit more relaxed, especially if they have plenty of honey stores for winter. I like to think of honey as stored sunshine, and the bees as holding the keys to the bounty of summer in their hives. Each time you add a little honey to your tea, let it bring forth feelings of sipping in those warm rays of summer sunshine.