BBKA Forum

Has anyone got bees that are bringing water balsam pollen in yet?

I guess not glad it's not just me

Do you mean Himalayan balsam - botanical name Impatiens glandulifera ?

It's in flower around me but bees currently on bramble and clover as richer nectar sources. When they run dry my bees
turn into ghosts.

NigelP wrote: ↑

25 Jul 2020, 15:21

It's in flower around me but bees currently on bramble and clover as richer nectar sources. When they run dry my bees
turn into ghosts.

Bramble has certainly finished round Me, clover on the other hand is still going strong

It had to happen... Ghost bees have started... Thank goodness

Been a funny old year with balsam, the bees are still bringing in the balsam pollen but they never really took off getting nectar. I only had one site that really did anything with balsam and that was still below expectations. It did produce a lovely light golden yellow honey.

I had some late this year, but not much; it's a fair distance from me.

AdamD wrote: ↑

21 Oct 2020, 11:05

I had some late this year, but not much; it's a fair distance from me.

This particular apiary was sat in the middle of the stuff !!!

Not the best of pictures but the bees where alive on the ivy yesterday..i did not see them to start with but when i went to wash a bucket out under the outside tap the distinctive hum give the game away..which in reality is a shame as the house needs a new boiler fitting..but the company is government funded and will not do the boiler unless they can do the cavity wall insulation..the cavity wall insulation can not be done unless the ivy is chopped down...sad times for me for two reasons..(1) the bees will loose this late pollen source (2) all the sparrows and starlings roosting in the ivy will loose there home..

Edited to say..this was supposed to be in the what is flowering section..not sure if mods or admin can fix it..