BBKA Forum

Hazel is near some hives but not producing anything yet

As for OSR! Nothing close. Talking to a farmer yesterday and he said all his OSR will be late and he farms over a thousand acres.

Chrisbarlow wrote: ↑

07 Mar 2020, 17:05

Hazel is near some hives but not producing anything yet

Where are you Chris ? Hazel is well finished here in Billingham Teesside. Blackthorn been in bloom for a while and going over & cherry plum already destroyed by wind and rain. Strange thing is crocus look very late and behind the daffs which are all in flower now. Bees had very little chance to bring in pollen due to high winds. -2C last night.

My mistake Mick. I meant Willow not hazel. As for hazel, I don't know.

I have to say I am struck with the flowering similarity between Teeside and south Somerset Mick. Who knew?

Was going fishing today but forecast looked shaky. Still a pile of floodwater everywhere.

Towns like London and Teesside etc are always a few degrees warmer than the outlying areas. We are fairly high up so colder...daffs out everywhere about 5-6 miles away in the Vale of Mowbray....Most of ours a few weeks away.....

What MIck hasn't told you is the cold sea wind that affects Teesside around May and June. I can leave my place in T-shirt and shorts but need thermals on Teesside about 25 miles away.

noticed this week that the plum tree is flowering in the garden, which is great, I cant wait to try the plums.

OSR surrounds me in abundance - it's eraly this year and has been flowering for 2 weeks but it's been too cold for the bees to get out much.
Yesterday I saw a bee come back with red pollen. What might it be?

Same here. not really been out for a couple of weeks but been to an apiary today and it felt great. Saw OSR flowering but only just starting really and dandilions!

AdamD wrote: ↑

04 Apr 2020, 09:52

Yesterday I saw a bee come back with red pollen. What might it be?

Per pollen loads of the honey bee by Kirk

Dandilions can be dark orangy
Broom can brick reddish

Marsh marigold is flowering now and I wonder if that's got a red pollen?

OSR about 2 inches high here, Dandelions came out but our local council deem it essential travel / work to cut them to pieces. Real cherry coming into flower which is a bit of concern unless it warms up like it is supposed to, crab apple flowered and for the very first time the bees never had a chance to forage on it and local pear looks likely to flower very soon which will be 3 weeks early. A very strange thing to notice was that a huge amount of the hedgerow which came into flower all had a yellow / brown colour to it and not the unusual bright white, never seen that before, maybe it was wind burn of the flowers.
On a plus note the bees were flying today and bringing in pollen for the 2nd time in 3 weeks.
My Son who lives near Southampton said it was over 20C today, 10C here and freezing Northerly..LOL

Weather...…...My specialised subject on Master Mind.

Ha...! Cheers, Mick.