apple blossom tree.

[biglongdarren]

there is some sort of very big apple blossom tree coming into flower in my garden,does anybody know if the bees i'll be working on it?
Darren.

 

[tonybloke]

does anybody know if the bees i'll be working on it?

No

 

[greatbritishhoney]

We've got a few apples in our orchard and the bees work them. Our apple blossom is a way off yet though - are you sure it's an apple?

 

[biglongdarren]

there never is any apples on it but am told its an apple blossom,can this be so?from what i remember last year it has white and pinky flowers,i can notice more flowers opening on it from this morning so will take a pic of one when they fully open.

 

[Silly Bee]

I have an apple in blossom, my bees so far have ignored it, they must have a had a better offer.

 

[Poly Hive]

LOL

Utter confusion.

PH

 

[chrismcd]

As I remember there are a lot of big old Bramley apple trees in Northern Ireland - this sounds like one of them.

In North Yorkshire my Bramley is just about to flower - it is at what is called 'pink bud'.

In the meantime my bees are busy working the peaches, pears and plums. I am sure they will move over to the apples as soon as their flowers open.

But then I do not have any oilseed rape nearby.

 

[Skyhook]

Apple nectar is fairly weak stuff. If there is nothing better they will be glad of it. If there's richer fare (eg dandelion) they will work that in preference.

Hence the difficulty with pollination contracts.

 

[Teemore]

Nectar rises in dandelion and apple blossom at different times of the day so they will work both. It isn't just the Bramleys that are getting geared up to come into bloom in NI - a lot of the eating varieties are just coming into bloom this week, a little ahead of the bramleys. I was speaking with a couple of migratory beekeepers yesterday (Darren, you'll know them!) and they are getting ready to bring bees to the apples.

 

[Beezy]

I've got 2 apples trees in blossom (one a cox's) and the bees are working on both of them.

 

[Chris Luck]

Apple is good for pollen even when OSR is in full flow...

....anyway my bees are having a go at everything that is flowering because they know that a varied diet is healthier for them.

...and as has been pointed out, different species produce nectar at different times of day and importantly at different temperatures.

Chris

 

[Gardenbees]

Mine are hitting the wild cherry and Bramley apple fairly enthusiastically, but ignoring the pear tree as usual. I also have an apricot and a quince. The quince is the only one they're really keen on. They're pretty laid back about the others. It's a beautiful sight though, to see the mazzard cherry absolutely covered in blossom, outlined against a blue sky and with a floating haze of bees calmly pottering about in the outermost branches.

 

[RoofTops]

Bees will work apple blossom unless there is a better offer elsewhere. From memory sugar content of the nectar is below about 30%. I have just put a couple of colonies in an orchard where the flowers are just opening. Within 24 hours the bees had found a field of rape about a mile away and seem to be concentrating on that by the look of the pollen they are bringing back. Rape nectar is about 50% sugar so much more attractive to the bees.

 

[Silly Bee]

What colour is OSR pollen?

I have a couple of fields of it near my apiary.

 

[oliver90owner]

What colour is OSR pollen?


Polka dot.

 

[Silly Bee]

Really? Thanks.

 

[keithgrimes]

What colour is OSR pollen?


Polka dot.

I thought it was tartan. So what's this tartan pollen I'm getting then?

 

[busybee53]

Bees prefer bluebells to my apple tree and I have to pollinate it myself with a paintbrush.

 

[RoofTops]

I think the colour of OSR pollen can vary but mostly a sort of browny-orange in my experience. Main clue is the amount of it being brought back.

 

[Skyhook]

I thought it was tartan. So what's this tartan pollen I'm getting then?

Haggis