Bee tea (for, not of)

Natalie, who is in the Natural Beekeepers group, shared her instructions for making a strengthening tea for the bees.  The idea is to use this tea for making the 1:1 sugar syrup that you use for bee food when they need some assistance.
 
Her instructions were a little circuitous because she gave references for where she got the bits of information she used to create her recipe.  She cited Gunther HaukMichael Weiler  and Maria Thun.  I am going to try to write a short form here.
 
These are the herbs she listed.  I have put the ones I have in my yard in blue.  I will be looking for the others as plants or seeds:
 
Yarrow, chamomile, dandelion and valerian,
Stinging nettle, horsetail and oak bark,
peppermint, thyme, sage and hyssop,
pinch of sea salt can be added.

Chamomile, yarrow and stinging nettle steeped for 10 minutes is a “basic best” combination. I have spearmint, not peppermint, so will be using that, instead.

Do not make the tea any stronger than you would drink yourself.

2 responses to “Bee tea (for, not of)”

  1. Boud Avatar
    Boud

    Well, to think I’ve been having afternoon tea without inviting my neighboring bees. Must remedy that. All the care your bees get will make wonderfully flavored honey, I would guess.

  2. Kitty Avatar
    Kitty

    🙂 I hope so. Though, I really am more interested in their pollination skills than their honey-making.

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