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Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:11 Jan 2021, 02:15
by MickBBKA
Chrisbarlow wrote:
10 Jan 2021, 18:06
Cricket Mick. Hawthorne already! R u Manchester based?
Ha, no, Teesside. I have taken very good notice of the local forage since I started beekeeping 8 years ago. My first winter the Hazel flowered late Jan early Feb, I actually had an argument with my Basic assessor when I refused to consider it a Spring source of pollen. Each year since it has progressively flowered earlier. This winter it was in flower week before Christmas. Now the Hawthorn is starting to flower much earlier. Although it is very far from being in true flower I can't see it making it past March before it is. The Hazel and Alder is more or less in full flower now but has been destroyed by the frosts in the last 2 weeks. Its a local thing. We get very mild winters here but that is followed by freezing springs. Last May 2nd week we had the coldest night I had recorded for 29 months. My bees make all their honey in a 6-8 week period between late April and early June depending on the winds. One thing I have found being a regular at our local honey shows is that I never now get any honey capable of winning in the light honey class. My spring honey is now very dark, however it tends to win the blind taste test :D The bees must be visiting completely different plants to what they were 4 or 5 years ago. I think thats because they don't get chance to forage on the traditional spring plants, they flower too early now. Local snowdrops are starting to fall over and Daffs almost in flower. Warm winters, cold springs and wet summer = TEESSIDE.... :roll:

Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:30 Jan 2021, 19:47
by Steve 1972
The Snowdrops are in flower at my at my Alnwick Apiary and the Daff's are just pushing through..weather dependent mid March is usually a bounty for the bees,,BUT we will see.. :roll:

Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:30 Jan 2021, 20:09
by Cable_Fairy
My snowdrops are just showing white above the front lawn.

Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:15 Feb 2021, 14:18
by Steve 1972
It's glorious out there today and the bees are everywhere..this picture was taken exactly one year ago today and the same is happening now with bees getting pollen from the crocus..not as many are in flower yet as last year but it is a good sight all the same..

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Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:16 Feb 2021, 01:00
by MickBBKA
Bees flying very well today here in Billingham for a good 4 hours but never saw a single basket of pollen. Hazel is just about done as its going brown, snowdrops half done, nothing else in flower, not a crocus in sight but then the snow only left today after 2 weeks.

Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:13 Mar 2021, 15:36
by Steve 1972
The willow wood is not far away now.

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Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:13 Mar 2021, 22:42
by Patrick
Blackthorn showing. Blowing a hooley however..

Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:14 Mar 2021, 11:35
by Alfred
I grew a gorse hedge from seed that I'd harvested.It's now in its third year and bees all over it this morning
It was all worth it!

Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:14 Mar 2021, 11:40
by Patrick
Wow, what a great idea. Underrated plant gorse - like bramble, often suffers from our modern war on scrub and obsession with a tidy neat and lifeless countryside.

Re: Forage , what's flowering in your area?

PostPosted:14 Mar 2021, 17:37
by Steve 1972
Alfred wrote:
14 Mar 2021, 11:35
I grew a gorse hedge from seed that I'd harvested.It's now in its third year and bees all over it this morning
It was all worth it!
I have been told from a very well known comercial beekeeper and breeder of good Queens near Dartmoor that gorse pollen is about the best you can get..I wonder why I have also been growing gorse seeds.. :roll: .