A very successful bee covered in dandelion pollen

I'm always in two minds when I see the beginning of the dandelion flower season. I know they are colourful  but they are very invasive. We already have countless dandelions all around the garden.  But when I see the way that insects are attracted to them as evidenced by this pollen coated bee, I realise how important they are to the early supply of food in the springtime. Given that the current weather is once again quite cool this becomes vital to the health of wildlife.

I remember too when I went with my friend Keith D, to check on the health of some of his hives and the presence of queen bees in them, he commented on how the dandelion crop was vital to the success of his business. They have hundreds of hives across the county and each different  and successful flower crop brings balance to the quality of the honey the bees produce.

Keith shows me his bees' honey