BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Forage , what's flowering in your area?

  • Bee's Need Flowers...… whats more to say?
Bee's Need Flowers...… whats more to say?
 #2600  by Chrisbarlow
 02 Apr 2019, 18:56
There is an aweful lot fo gorse out now, seen 2 or 3 fields of OSR that are yellow over, many more just starting to turn yellow. The blue bells are now starting to flower South of York where I have been this afternoon and a small woodland plant called climbing corydalis is also starting to flower, which I think its bee friendly
 #2711  by Chrisbarlow
 13 Apr 2019, 21:00
Up in Berwick today, it's fantastic seeing the amount of dandelions that are out up here. Along with gorse, and OSR
 #2718  by NigelP
 14 Apr 2019, 16:08
Yup everything and it's mother is in bloom at the moment and with temps set to rise into the 20's by end of next week all mayhem will be set loose.
Me I'm just going to add extra supers.....
 #2725  by Chrisbarlow
 15 Apr 2019, 08:49
It's fantastic isn't it Nigel. Lovely warm weather and lots of forage
 #2734  by Jim Norfolk
 15 Apr 2019, 14:55
Great to see bees on my plum blossom at last as the temperature has picked up. Pear and cherry also about to open. I have even found a few acres of OSR hidden about a mile away. I thought I was free of it.
 #2764  by Chrisbarlow
 19 Apr 2019, 14:40
I've seen my first borage flowering of the season in Northumberland. The climbing corydalis near York is in full flower and being worked by honey bee's
 #2772  by MickBBKA
 20 Apr 2019, 03:30
Everything is in flower, I think this is more to do with a very mild winter and warm February. As usual once the spring equinox has happened the wind goes straight easterly and its freezing cold here with winds straight off the North Sea. My daughter came to visit on Wednesday and said it was 22C in London when she left at 10.00am. When she arrived here at 3.30PM it was 10C.
I did actually get around to inspecting all my colonies yesterday at 14C. About 75% are doing fantastic and look 6 weeks ahead. The other 25% look to be suffering various problems. 1st looks a drone layer, 2nd looks queenless, 3rd looks like CBPV and 4th just looks weak but hanging on. What I have learn't is to cut my loses pretty quick with these and just unite to the best queen. Better to have one good colony than four weak ones.
 #2776  by NigelP
 20 Apr 2019, 15:30
MickBBKA wrote:
20 Apr 2019, 03:30
My daughter came to visit on Wednesday and said it was 22C in London when she left at 10.00am. When she arrived here at 3.30PM it was 10C.
Only need travel South down the A19 to 20 mile sot get an 10C increase in temp.......
That cold sea fret is legendary in your artea.
 #2778  by Jim Norfolk
 20 Apr 2019, 18:44
My thermometer managed 11 C in the shade today but fortunately my hives are in the sun and sheltered from the onshore wind. A few hardy people on the beach and some even went in the sea. The sea temperature was 7.5 C. Bees go out if its sunny even if its cold and windy. I guess they are finding sheltered areas to forage as there is a lot out there. I am getting a lot of orange pollen which I think could be wallflower. I have one super filled with nectar on each colony and have just put on a second and am preparing a third super for each.
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 37