<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed . (May 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> For bees, their forage or food supply consists of nectar and pollen from blooming plants within flight range . The forage sources for honey bees are an important consideration for beekeepers . In order to determine where to locate hives for maximum honey production and brood one must consider the off - season . If there are no honey flows the bees may have to be fed . Bees that are used for pollination are usually fed in the holding yards . Forage is also significant for pollination management with other bee species . Nectar contains sugars that are the primary source of energy for the bees' wing muscles and for heat for honey bee colonies for winter . Pollen provides the protein and trace minerals that are mostly fed to the brood in order to replace bees lost in the normal course of life cycle and colony activity . </P> <P> As a rule of thumb the foraging area around a beehive extends for two miles (3 km), although bees have been observed foraging twice and three times this distance from the hive . Experiments have shown that beehives within 4 miles of a food source will gain weight, but beyond that the energy expended is greater than that gained during the foraging flight . Foraging at extreme distances wears out the wings of individual bees, reduces the life expectancy of foraging bees and therefore the efficiency of the colony . The minimum temperature for active honeybee foraging is approximately 55 ° F (13 ° C). Full foraging activity is not achieved until the temperature rises to 66 ° F (19 ° C). There are small differences in the races of the Western honey bees at what temperature they will start foraging . </P> <P> The main nectar source and main pollen source differ widely with the latitude, region, season and type of vegetation . Bees are able to communicate direction and distance of a food source by means of the round dance, waggle dance and shaking signals . </P>

How far do honey bees travel from their hive