Rain Gauge
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A rain gauge is helpful to have in an apiary to know how much moisture plants are getting. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
Rain Gauge
Maybe it’s not the typical beekeeping tool but a rain gauge is important for an apiary.
Bees depend on plants for food - protein for baby food and nectar for flight fuel. Knowing how much moisture plants are getting helps to determine how long the nectar flow will continue. With May being the traditional beginning of the nectar flow in mid-Missouri, a rain gauge will help beekeepers keep track of plant growing conditions.
Plants vary in their growing needs. They also have a good 20 or so variables that impact them, from temperature to rainfall.
The nectar flow, when plants are attracting pollinators so the pollinators move pollen to help plants reproduce, tends to occur when temperatures are between 74F and 86F. Rain helps the plants prolong the nectar flow; drought encourages the plants to shut down reproduction and concentrate on survival.
To make a rain gauge helpful, pick one out with large letters so you can easily read the letters from inside the house. If your apiary is set apart and a distance from your home, the large letters will also make it easier to read as you drive by.
