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  • Bee's Need Flowers...… whats more to say?
Bee's Need Flowers...… whats more to say?
 #11003  by AdamD
 26 May 2021, 08:51
I have just received the results from the samples I sent in last year to this scheme.
The August results are not available however for 27 May 2020, if anyone is interested, the results are as follows, (in order of magnitide):-

Brassica rapa Turnip
Brassica oleracea Cabbage
Brassica
Brassica juncea Chinese Mustard
Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons
Brassicaceae Crucifer
Rubus Bramble
Acer pseudoplatanus Sycamore
Brassica napus Rape
Brassica nigra Black Mustard
Brassica carinata Ethiopian Rape
Myosotis sylvatica Wood Forget-me-not
Smyrnium olusatrum Alexanders

Not a very interesting selection of crops in this sample as it's predominantly brassica, and the top result was probably turnip rape; OSR had been flowering for some time and the sample demonstrates the dominance over other plant varieties at that time of year. My guess is that the Rubus was left over from the previous autumn.
 #11005  by Patrick
 26 May 2021, 10:18
Actually it is pretty interesting - why so many different brassica types? Game cover crops?

The Dicots presumably cover a range of stuff aside from forget me knot and Alexander’s, I assume it’s a case of ID effort vs proportion in sample.
 #11006  by NigelP
 26 May 2021, 12:09
Yes game cover has most of those brassicas and radishes.
I've got results from three samples dating from 15th May (last year of course) through to August. Turnip predominates in all of them.
May is Turnip then Brassica.
July is Turnip then Bramble
August is Turnip then Balsam
I'll post a fuller list if anyone is interested,
 #11008  by MickBBKA
 27 May 2021, 01:43
Ha !
I visited the colonies I recently moved to 90 acres of woodland with natural wild flowers. Having walked around the local area it was no suprise despite the local flora and beautiful flight pond to find bees feeding on the brassica game cover and drinking rusty water from the lid of a metal barrel pheasant feeder. You can take the bees out of Teesside......etc.
Interesting though the land owner showed me a true wild colony living in a tree trunk of the description that Tom Seeley would be proud of. Its been resident for the whole 10 years he has been there. Bait hive now set up :D