birch trees.

[victor meldrew]

Oh dear! Can we get anymore patronising pal? FYI I spent many of my younger years thinning forests here in NI, we used to be able to buy by acre where forrestry cut every third tree and left standing, we dropped them and cut them up for firewood. Hard work but a living. The OP was asking a question to which i was responding:

"I have some very large river birch trees next to a stream in my fields are they good for bees or would i be better off buying a wood burner thanks for your time."

Both condescending and rude! I never had erico down as a medallion man but that post gave that impression !
VM


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[enrico]

SORRY ........bad hair day! Just feel that often people don't understand that woodland does need managing....don't mean to be patronising...am I forgiven xxxx
Enrico

 

[victor meldrew]

We all have them if we breath that is
My earlier post may not have been referring to Enrico
VM


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[user 6228]

I have some very large river birch trees next to a stream in my fields are they good for bees or would i be better off buying a wood burner thanks for your time.

Trees that rot from within have cavities that are bees natural nest habitat. Large birch are susceptable to rot and thus are VERY GOOD for bees. Leave them.
Remember there is no widely available hive that is as good as a tree for bees

 

[blackcavebees]

SORRY ........bad hair day! Just feel that often people don't understand that woodland does need managing....don't mean to be patronising...am I forgiven xxxx
Enrico

No probs here pal, i was just trying to be helpful, didn't mean to give off a tree hugging vibe

 

[Hivemaker.]

Large birch are susceptable to rot and thus are VERY GOOD for bees. Leave them.

They rarely get to a large diameter.

Both species of birch are fast-growing pioneer trees which readily colonise open ground. Silver birch is the faster growing of the two, and also the taller, reaching a height of up to 30 metres, whereas downy birch seldom exceeds 21 metres. As pioneer species, they are short-lived, with typical lifespans being between 60 and 90 years old, although some individuals can live up to 150 years. The trees are slender, with their trunks not normally exceeding a diameter of 40 cm. at breast height.

 

[user 6228]

They rarely get to a large diameter.

Both species of birch are fast-growing pioneer trees which readily colonise open ground. Silver birch is the faster growing of the two, and also the taller, reaching a height of up to 30 metres, whereas downy birch seldom exceeds 21 metres. As pioneer species, they are short-lived, with typical lifespans being between 60 and 90 years old, although some individuals can live up to 150 years. The trees are slender, with their trunks not normally exceeding a diameter of 40 cm. at breast height.

Agreed, However not sure you need a large diameter, just enough volume. From seeley's "The nest of the honeybee"

Maximum and minimum cavity diameters were 42.7 cm and 15.2 cm. Maximum and minimum cavity heights were 351 cm and 49 cm.The mean cavity diameter, height and (height/diameter) ratio were 22.7 cm (SD 6.6 era), 156 cm (SD 83 )and 7.2 (SD 3.8), respectively, Except for new nests and one nest in a 448 liter tree hollow, all nests filled their nest cavities.

A stack of 5 supers must be nothing to a bee

 

[Hivemaker.]

There are plenty of forests in this area,and plenty of silver birch trees, some rotten with lots of woodpecker holes, but i have never seen one with bees in, seen plenty of big old beech and oak trees with bees in though, usually quite high up.

A stack of 5 supers must be nothing to a bee

Maybe not, but i am quite fond of them when they are full of honey.

 

[Winker]

They rarely get to a large diameter.

Both species of birch are fast-growing pioneer trees which readily colonise open ground. Silver birch is the faster growing of the two, and also the taller, reaching a height of up to 30 metres, whereas downy birch seldom exceeds 21 metres. As pioneer species, they are short-lived, with typical lifespans being between 60 and 90 years old, although some individuals can live up to 150 years. The trees are slender, with their trunks not normally exceeding a diameter of 40 cm. at breast height.

Hey, i never knew you were also a writer for http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/species/birch.html

 

[Hivemaker.]

Hey, i never knew you were also a writer for http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/species/birch.html

You learn something new every day.

 

[Finman]

.

A birch tree is a honey bee tree. For goodness' sake, forget it! It has nothing to do with bees.

We have here every where birches and they are no use to bees.

Why I hate birch is that it reaches its roots quite long from the tree and take all nutritients and water from cultivated plants. Populus is worse. It affects on the radius of 30 metres.

 

[Finman]

.
Sap holes made by woodpecker

In our forest we may see quite often rows of small holes in birch trees and in branches. A woodpecker Dendrocopos major hits holes, that sap starts to run in spring. Sap collects insects to drink sap (flies) and then woodpecker pics the insects.


That woodpecker makes every year a new nest hole. Other birds make nest to old holes. When babies of others birds are big enough, the woodpecker catch them and eate to its own food.

We speak here much about rotten birch truncks that they must be sleaved in woods. Namely, lots a small birds make their nest holes into softened wood.

 

[user 6228]

.

A birch tree is a honey bee tree. For goodness' sake, forget it! It has nothing to do with bees.

We have here every where birches and they are no use to bees.

Why I hate birch is that it reaches its roots quite long from the tree and take all nutritients and water from cultivated plants. Populus is worse. It affects on the radius of 30 metres.

Even if it only provides habitat for the birds, that reduces competition for holes in other potential bee trees

 

[BeeJayBee]

Why I hate birch is that it reaches its roots quite long from the tree ...

... which is why it can be so useful in stabilising the banks of water courses, lakes and ponds.

 

[Finman]

Even if it only provides habitat for the birds, that reduces competition for holes in other potential bee trees

What? A beehive in half litre hole?

.What country, what currency?

Potential bee tree? Never heard?

 

[Finman]

... which is why it can be so useful in stabilising the banks of water courses, lakes and ponds.

usually there is a willow zone between water and trees.

.

 

[BeeJayBee]

usually there is a willow zone between water and trees.

.

But the original question is about some birch trees next to a stream.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

... which is why it can be so useful in stabilising the banks of water courses, lakes and ponds.

Unfortunately the roots aren't that deep, so not that good for bank stabilisation - as with conifers the opposite applies - as the tree grows tall and is not condusive to coppicing it is prone to being blown over and thus destabilises the bank and leaves it open to erosion.
Tall trees cause 'tunneling' making the river corridor dark and discouraging all kinds of growth in the water which feeds fish. Also, the higher tree canopy takes the insects who live in ot further from the river which again deprives fish of much needed feeding

usually there is a willow zone between water and trees.

.

the perfect bankside tree - as long as it's coppiced regularly, it's roots reinforce banks, there is plenty of insect habitat for the fish, and it affords plenty of shelter for other riverside inhabitants such as otters, willow warblwers et al (also a good early season pollen provider

 

[Luminos]

.

A birch tree is a honey bee tree. For goodness' sake, forget it! It has nothing to do with bees.

We have here every where birches and they are no use to bees.

Why I hate birch is that it reaches its roots quite long from the tree and take all nutritients and water from cultivated plants. Populus is worse. It affects on the radius of 30 metres.

If you got rid of all the birch trees, what would you make your vihta from?

 

[user 6228]

What? A beehive in half litre hole?

.What country, what currency?

Potential bee tree? Never heard?

remove the false language barrier and read it again. A hole in a birch with a bird in it means that bird cant be in a hole in an OAK. Instead the bees can be in the OAK instead of the bird that is in the birch tree.

or are you arguing that all species of all genera that live in oak holes dont live in Birch trees?