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

PostPosted:15 Sep 2019, 00:06
by nealh
First ivy of the season today had a nice sniff of the flowering buds, love the aroma of it.

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

PostPosted:20 Sep 2019, 17:57
by Chrisbarlow
I've seen a little ivy in bud. The bees are still working the balsam by the white stripe on their backs but I don't think it's yielding very well at the moment. The girls don't seem to be putting much weight on.

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

PostPosted:03 Oct 2019, 15:01
by Chrisbarlow
Lots of ivy seems to have flowers on it and there is still balsam in flower.

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

PostPosted:09 Oct 2019, 08:25
by Patrick
Not so much bee forage but just seen a clump of ox eye daisy in flower!

That well known October wildflower. Not.

Wonder if we are going to have another of those winters with stuff flowering in December. Still haven’t got over seeing a painted lady butterfly on the 4th January some years back on Lyme Regis beach. Never thought prolonged warm winters do the bees many favours tbh, but that’s intuitive rather than rigorous evidence based.

Any thoughts from others on that?

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

PostPosted:09 Oct 2019, 08:54
by NigelP
Still got all sorts in flower here in different micro-climates including red clover, wild carrot (Or possibly cow parsley) lots of daisies, Rose of Sharon having g second flowers (pollen only)....and somewhere there is some ivy out as judged by the huge amounts of yellow pollen being brought in yesterday,

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

PostPosted:09 Oct 2019, 16:23
by Chrisbarlow
Patrick wrote:
09 Oct 2019, 08:25
Wonder if we are going to have another of those winters with stuff flowering in December. Still haven’t got over seeing a painted lady butterfly on the 4th January some years back on Lyme Regis beach. Never thought prolonged warm winters do the bees many favours tbh, but that’s intuitive rather than rigorous evidence based.

Any thoughts from others on that?
I think for my bees, the warmer winter's are great. Last year was mild and my bees did really well, not just the number of boxes that overwintered successfully but box strength as well. They need more stores though, so is that a good point or not?

They make for good boxes on OSR :D

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

PostPosted:24 Feb 2020, 21:39
by Chrisbarlow
Its nice to see Spring flowers coming out.

I have in the garden at the moment blue and yellow crocus and hellebore, sadly I have not seen any bees on any of them.


I also have hyacinths and daffodils but I don't think bees work either of these.

Bluebells and winter aconites have come through but neither are in flower yet.

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

PostPosted:25 Feb 2020, 09:29
by AdamD
Crocuses are out and early wild plums are flowing too - although it's generally too cold and windy for bees to be out and about at the moment.

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

PostPosted:07 Mar 2020, 10:27
by AdamD
Some of the OSR is about to flower - however it's quite early and with bees haveing been unable to fly much over the past few weeks, colonies are not that large, is my guess, and so they are not going to bring much of it in.

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

PostPosted:07 Mar 2020, 16:54
by NigelP
Wow, the tropical Sarth /wry grin/
On the few farms now growing it near me, it's about 3 inches high....mid april earliest....Fortunately one field is approx 1 field away from my main out apiary...which will be well stocked with colonies by then./big grin/
Crocus and snowdrops with most of the crocus still to flower,. Some hazel catkins but no pollen on them yet.
Tomorrow should be the first decent flying day (10+C) for weeks up here. Had a hard frost for the last 4 nights.