BBKA Forum

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So is pond water!
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Indeed- ivy is very useful to bees in autumn.

The cherry trees in the park are starting to show promise just in time for the crappy weather. Seeing a my laurel tree in full bloom just before the cold landed was nice . Was surprised to see the bees in it as someone told me bees dont forage near their own hives . I know they were mine cause I sat watching them for half an hour flitting in and out from the hive and back. Dandelions burst too and saw a good bit of pollen coming in most of it green but a few bright orange and yellow ones

There are two lots of OSR around me. The bees missed the earlier fields of it as the weather was too cold. The later-flowering stuff is still yielding.
Horse chestnut is in full flower.
We have a laburnum in the garden that usually flowers at the end of April. It is in flower now - a month later than most years.
My hay fever is just starting from grass pollen. It usually starts in early-mid May. So late again.

Yes, everything is late and not surprising given that cold April.
Our hawthorn and Chestnut are full bloom, although I noted on a trip down to Rutland earlier this week that from South Yorkshire downwards most of these have finished or are close to it.

Saw bees foraging under laurel leaves this morning- the plant supposedly containing a cyanide excreting gland at that point.

After a bad start to the day it has now warmed up and the bees are piling pollen in of all colours..bright yellow/Orange/blue/cream and God knows from where but Pink..

The only pink pollen I know is from the plant Common Mallow.

Caroline wrote:The only pink pollen I know is from the plant Common Mallow.

Which is currently in flower around here and, pretty unusually for anything called Common, still is.

I was reading earlier that it could be field beans..not sure if it is correct but the bees have two fields to forage around 300 yards away.