Changes

For many beekeepers the main reason for keeping bees is to harvest honey and/or pollen. Another economically very important service of honeybees is the pollination of crops, such as many fruit trees.

In [[Dalsland]], Sweden, willow is normally blooming during the latter part of April. Maple appears during the first week of May. It’s important, but gives nothing to harvest. The most important month for honey in [[Dalsland]] is August.

In mid-May, bees can collect small amounts of dandelion (''Taraxacum'') honey in southern Norway.

The spring honey is usually used by the bee colony itself to grow up in preparation for the main nectar flow. Since the Nordic brown bees’ colony development starts slow, however, it does not support spring honey production. Despite this, it is sometimes possible to collect unifloral types of honey from the spring blooming season. The first main nectar flow usually comes from raspberry (''Rubus idaeus'').

Both the harvesting time and origin of honey depend completely on the surrounding environment’s biotope and climate.

* In [[Dalsland]], Sweden, the most important nectar flow is usually in August and harvesting ends in mid-August.

* All honey frames can be harvested at the same time but some food should be left into the brood area.

If there is a strong flow of raspberry nectar in Dalsland, Sweden, honey harvesting will be done quite soon after Midsummer. But if the raspberry nectar is poor harvesting will wait until the end of August or even the beginning of September.