I live on a sand hill. No joke, a sand hill with minimal nutrition for plants. It’s mostly pine and scrub oaks. Some hardwoods have found a way to survive and provide some forage for the bees. Drought resistant wildflowers come up along the roadways and power lines. The chain of nutrients from soil to plant to bloom doesn’t improve along the journey.

Although it can be said I live in the pollen belt, the pollen here is of poor quality. I have resigned myself to providing supplemental food for the bees during the times of pollen and  nectar dearth. They won’t take it if nature provides something better.

I had a professor in college once that said protein was the currency standard in food and nutrition. More and more we are learning that with our honey bees it plays a vital role in their immune systems as well. A well fed bee is a healthier bee.