Balsam.

[Sandbee79]

I have wondered why every season the honeys take to the Balsam so late and I think I 've figured it out. I m surrounded by Balsam and I watch everyday as the Bumbles rattle it. But not the honeys or not yet anyway. As the Bumbles come to an end and start dying off the honeys come on it. Recently had to be up early and noticed that a couple of my hives were already working it,but as soon as the bumbles came out they stopped. My theory here is that the the warmed up honeys were ready to fly at first light but bumbles need time to warm up their bods.So I 'll wait till the end of August and see what happens Im sure the honeys will get theirs then.

 

[enrico]

Bumbles work at much lower temps than honeys!

 

[Skyhook]

Also they have longer probosces. If bumbles are working tubular flowers the nectar will never reach a level that honeys can access.

Last summer there were few bumbles, and the lavender in my garden was ahum with honeybees. This year it is being heavily worked by bumbles, and there is not a honey bee on it, in spite of there being 30,000 a few yards away.


.

 

[garlicpickle]

Last summer there were few bumbles, and the lavender in my garden was ahum with honeybees. This year it is being heavily worked by bumbles, and there is not a honey bee on it, in spite of there being 30,000 a few yards away.


.

Same here - not a single honey on my lavender this year, but it's covered in bumbles and white butterflies

 

[madasafish]

Same here - not a single honey on my lavender this year, but it's covered in bumbles and white butterflies

200 meters away my friends have lavender covered with my bees. They can tell they are mine by the label round their necks saying "I'm a mad bee..."

 

[ROACHMAN]

Same in my area, the bumbles are on the H balsom but not a single honey bee

 

[beeno]

Also they have longer probosces. If bumbles are working tubular flowers the nectar will never reach a level that honeys can access.

Last summer there were few bumbles, and the lavender in my garden was ahum with honeybees. This year it is being heavily worked by bumbles, and there is not a honey bee on it, in spite of there being 30,000 a few yards away.


.

Hi Skyhook and others,
Same here, but I am sure I saw honey bees on mine last year. Maybe something better going at the minute. Not temperature related here as south facing court yard! Wait and see attitude!

 

[TBRNoTB]

Hi Skyhook and others,
Same here, but I am sure I saw honey bees on mine last year. Maybe something better going at the minute. Not temperature related here as south facing court yard! Wait and see attitude!

Same here, lots of bumbles only the odd one or two honeys, last year they seemed to do well on it.

 

[clv101]

Same here - not a single honey on my lavender this year, but it's covered in bumbles and white butterflies

Aren't a lot of this "no honeybees on my flowers" observations just due to the fact the honeybees tend not the forage within a tens or even several hundred metres of the hive - preferring to go further afield?

 

[garlicpickle]

Aren't a lot of this "no honeybees on my flowers" observations just due to the fact the honeybees tend not the forage within a tens or even several hundred metres of the hive - preferring to go further afield?

that may be so, but my bees are kept over a mile away from my garden and its lavender
Not saying that all the honeys in my garden last year came from MY hive, but they must have come from somewhere, and they aren't here this year but the bumbles are.

 

[Ely]

Maybe just been too dry for enough nectar for a hive mind to be bothered with

 

[Somerford]

Everyone on the forum ought to send an email to BBC Radio 4 PM programme.....tonight there was a piece on scientists developing a fungus to kill HB off.....yet another way of reducing our bee's forage.
I'M writing to Eddie Mair
Email is [email protected]

 

[Hivemaker.]

Everyone on the forum ought to send an email to BBC Radio 4 PM programme.....tonight there was a piece on scientists developing a fungus to kill HB off[/email]

I agree, congratulations are in order if this fungus works.

 

[Skyhook]

Hi Skyhook and others,
Same here, but I am sure I saw honey bees on mine last year. Maybe something better going at the minute. Not temperature related here as south facing court yard! Wait and see attitude!

Same here, lots of bumbles only the odd one or two honeys, last year they seemed to do well on it.

Yes, because last year there were so few bumbles.

.

 

[For want of a better word]

I agree, congratulations are in order if this fungus works.

Perhaps "they" could develop a fungus to kill off nettles... and wasps !

AND VARROA !!!!!!

 

[Putnamsmif]

I'm all in favour of plenty of forage for my bees which are in the fens and so surrounded by rivers and drains. However himalayan balsam is in fact an invasive species, it grows so quickly it out-competes our native plants, and contributes to river bank erosion. I don't think we on the one hand should be complaining about pesticides, intensive farming practices, invasive species such as Asian hornets, but on the other hand saying we welcome himalayan balsam and lobbying people to say we as beekeepers want to keep it.

I for one will welcome a fungus to kill it off.

Sorry to be a killjoy!

 

[Somerford]

I'm all in favour of plenty of forage for my bees which are in the fens and so surrounded by rivers and drains. However himalayan balsam is in fact an invasive species, it grows so quickly it out-competes our native plants, and contributes to river bank erosion. I don't think we on the one hand should be complaining about pesticides, intensive farming practices, invasive species such as Asian hornets, but on the other hand saying we welcome himalayan balsam and lobbying people to say we as beekeepers want to keep it.

I for one will welcome a fungus to kill it off.

Sorry to be a killjoy!

Well I disagree

 

[Putnamsmif]

Absolutely your prerogative. But when the Asian hornet gets here, which it most certainly will at some point in the next few years I take it you will be welcoming it and e-mailing Eddie Mair to complain about those pesky people who are lobbying the government to do something about it.

 

[VEG]

Well I disagree

so do I

 

[Swarm]

I think I'd rather see Balsam than Ragwort and there's far more of that about.