Birdsfoot Trefoil

[Leigh]

Does anyone have any experience of this?

I was feeling rather smug at having found two new sites each with about 10-15 acres of "nectar and pollen mix" planted....Countryside Stewardship land (I think this is posh set aside).

The plant mix comprises Birdfoot Trefoil (lots), Red clover, Yarrow, Selfheal, Knapweed and oxeye daisy.

Now, the Trefoil is in wonderful full flower....bumble bees working it industriously, but few if any of my honeybees on it. The land is light, and it has been very dry here. The question is, has anyone else had their bees on Trefoil, and does it normally yield well?

 

[susbees]

Nope...they pretty much ignored it last year, quite a lot around our apiary, and can't cope with red clover. They do love knapweed though (but not the blue one in gardens) and yarrow.

 

[louiseww]

Does anyone have any experience of this?

I was feeling rather smug at having found two new sites each with about 10-15 acres of "nectar and pollen mix" planted....Countryside Stewardship land (I think this is posh set aside).

The plant mix comprises Birdfoot Trefoil (lots), Red clover, Yarrow, Selfheal, Knapweed and oxeye daisy.

Now, the Trefoil is in wonderful full flower....bumble bees working it industriously, but few if any of my honeybees on it. The land is light, and it has been very dry here. The question is, has anyone else had their bees on Trefoil, and does it normally yield well?

I have some in my lawn and the honey bees don't bother with it. The bumbles do, it is a pea like (snap dragon) flower and honey bees don't find these easy to access - bumbles have no problem because of their size and longer tongues (generally) - this is my theory for what it is worth!
Louise

 

[stilllearning]

as the saying goes "you can lead a horse to water......"
but lets not forget , those that worked out what to plant in"countryside stewardship"are all well educated and have degrees dont you know...so us mere peasants should put up and shut up

 

[Chris Luck]

Birdfoot Trefoil (lots), Red clover, Yarrow, Selfheal, Knapweed and oxeye daisy.

All ignored by honey bees, stacks of them all on my land, good for bumble bees, butterflies, and various solitary insects.

....if however you had horseshoe vetch you may find the honey bees attracted to that.

BTW. There's more to wildlife than honey bees.

Chris

 

[chycarne]

some of the Blue butterflies (also coppers) like it and for one i think it is a specific food plant ... bees not over interested but do like knapweed- lots!

 

[greatbritishhoney]

We've got a fair amount of birdsfoot trefoil and I've never seen my bees anywhere near it, nor the clover.
Knapweed though - they love it, and it seems to flower for ages.

 

[Chris Luck]

Interesting about the knapweed, I have a fair amount of it in my fields, three varieties in fact and the honey bees don't touch it, judging form your responses it must be because I have things they much prefer, very strange.

Chris

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Interesting about the knapweed, I have a fair amount of it in my fields, three varieties in fact and the honey bees don't touch it, judging form your responses it must be because I have things they much prefer, very strange.

Chris

There's not a great deal else for my bees towards the end of August, so I guess it's hobsons choice

 

[bee ginnner]

perhaps in the future when they reseed you could talk them into a mix more for honeybees, you could pay a bit towards seed

 

[Chris Luck]

Logically if it's properly managed it won't be reseeded, just cut or grazed at the right time of year and any scrub kept under control.

Chris

 

[Leigh]

Thanks for the answers...food for thought.

The landowner did say that if I could think of plants that would be good for honeybees, he would sow them for next season.....any thoughts on that?

 

[tonybloke]

but lets not forget , those that worked out what to plant in"countryside stewardship"are all well educated and have degrees dont you know...so us mere peasants should put up and shut up

erm, honey bees ain't really native wildlife, the stewardship schemes are not there for the benefit if beekeepers, they are for wildlife.

 

[Russel]

as the saying goes "you can lead a horse to water......"
but lets not forget , those that worked out what to plant in"countryside stewardship"are all well educated and have degrees dont you know...so us mere peasants should put up and shut up

Probably went to the same school as the red faced nasa scientists that sent bees up into space and were puzzled why they remained clustered irc. Should have asked a beek.

 

[Chris Luck]

The landowner did say that if I could think of plants that would be good for honeybees, he would sow them for next season.....any thoughts on that?

Bramble is good for honey bees and a whole range of other species as well.

Chris