Bees and buttercups

[REDWOOD]

Do bees forage on buttercups as there seems to be lots of it about this year

 

[tonybloke]

not that I've ever noticed, but someone will soon be along who knows different, LOL

 

[Chris Luck]

Not here they don't.

Chris

 

[tonybloke]

phew!

 

[REDWOOD]

I've done a bit of searching and it seems that they will collect pollen from buttercups and the bees look all yellow and I noticed a few bees all yellow today

 

[susbees]

I've done a bit of searching and it seems that they will collect pollen from buttercups and the bees look all yellow and I noticed a few bees all yellow today

Redwood - had that exact thorax pattern of pollen and orange in the pollen baskets this week on a few bees in a brood box I was going through. Got a pic somewhere but same as yours.

Anyone know what it is? We have field-loads of creeping buttercup but not seen any bees near them. Will have to look harder ;.

On the rowan for sure and hawthorn just getting going (wonder if it'll be a hawthorn year?!)/

 

[Waxing]

Excellent photos Mr. Redwood. What camera, please?
Thanks,
Waxing

 

[REDWOOD]

Same here, rowan just started to flower and hawthorn not quite yet, I too had bees with bright orange almost florescent pollen, I did a search for source but the only thing that was in full flower was buttercups bluebells horse chestnut and Rhododendron, hazel has also flowered.

 

[REDWOOD]

Excellent photos Mr. Redwood. What camera, please?
Thanks,
Waxing

Not my camera for the last two but if you are looking for a good setup buy a DSLR with a 90mm true macro lens

 

[susbees]

Same here, rowan just started to flower and hawthorn not quite yet, I too had bees with bright orange almost florescent pollen, I did a search for source but the only thing that was in full flower was buttercups bluebells horse chestnut and Rhododendron, hazel has also flowered.

Hmm....for the can't-reach-between-the shoulder-blades look think pea family or sage family...obviously very free with the pollen by the state of them!

 

[BeeJayBee]

Hmm....for the can't-reach-between-the shoulder-blades look think pea family or sage family...obviously very free with the pollen by the state of them!

Yes, it doesn't look as if a bee would get pollen on its back from a buttercup. Do they go for magnolia flowers? They're quite deep, with lots of pollen before the nectaries.

 

[the naked beekeeper]

I thought magnolias didn't have pollen and nectar as they're prehistoric and pre-date pollinators.

 

[Rich0909]

Hmm....for the can't-reach-between-the shoulder-blades look think pea family or sage family...obviously very free with the pollen by the state of them!

Possibly laburnum, quite a few bees on a local tree on Saturday.


Bee on Laburnum by Pauline Jones, on Flickr

(Not my photo!)

Rich

 

[The Cumbrian]

I thought magnolias didn't have pollen and nectar as they're prehistoric and pre-date pollinators.

As I understand it they did evolve before bees but evolved to be pollinated by beetles. So they would have pollen but it is doubtful that bees would be visiting them.

 

[MJBee]

Have you got any broom near you?

 

[Luminos]

Have you got any broom near you?

Got a couple of bass brooms for the stables...never seen any bees on them though

 

[Chris Luck]

Yes I thought Broom as well and as I have it flowering here on my land I imagine it's about the same in parts of the UK this year. Rich golden yellow.

Chris

 

[Shabro]

I was wondering if buttercups were any good as well as one of my hives is next to a field full of it, and seem to be bringing in plenty at the minute.

 

[pbh4]

Do bees forage on buttercups as there seems to be lots of it about this year

From F.N. Howes Plants and Beekeeping http://archive.org/details/plantsandbeekeep031830mbp

BUTTERCUP Ranunculus spp.: Ranunculaceae
The numerous buttercups so prevalent in pastures are of little as bee plants. The flowers of many species seem never consequence to be visited by honey bees at all but those of others, e.g. the lesser celandine (R.ficaria) and bulbous buttercup (R.bulbosus) both common species, may be worked for pollen on occasions.
Buttercups are, in general, unpalatable plants, owing to the presence of an acrid poisonous principle, and have caused poisoning in livestock. It is of interest, therefore, to note that in recent years the pollen of buttercups has been proved to be actually injurious to bees in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe and responsible for a form of 'May sickness'. Bad outbreaks of this malady have occurred in seasons when cold weather has retarded the flowering of the usual early pollen plants, like cherries and dandelions, but not the more hardy buttercups, causing the bees amounts of buttercup pollen.
In Britain there is usually an abundance of other 'wholesome' to collect larger pollen plants in flower at the times so presumably this when form of bee malady buttercups are in bloom, may be less likely to occur. The harmful nature of buttercup pollen, or at any rale that of of Ranunculus, may be the reason why the flowers are species so often completely neglected by hive bees. Their instinct warns some them to leave the flowers alone. (Bee World, 1942, 47, 78.)​

 

[Chris Luck]

I knew my bees were intelligent.

Chris