Broad Bean Flowers

Frenchie · Jun 6, 2015

We have a big field quite close planted with broad beans which are all in flower. Just wondered if they are any benefit to my bees. :thanks:

peterbees · Jun 6, 2015

Could they be field beans? They have a lilac-coloured flower, compared to the white flowers of the the broad beans, otherwise the plants look the same (I'm growing both in my garden). If they are field beans, your bees should benefit from them. I've heard that broad bean flowers are too deep for honeybees.

pargyle · Jun 6, 2015

peterbees said:
Could they be field beans? They have a lilac-coloured flower, compared to the white flowers of the the broad beans, otherwise the plants look the same (I'm growing both in my garden). If they are field beans, your bees should benefit from them. I've heard that broad bean flowers are too deep for honeybees.

I regularly see honey bees on my broad bean flowers at the allotment .... I wonder if it's different varieties that have different size of flowers ? Field beans are certainly a really good crop for the bees.

masterBK · Jun 6, 2015

Bees produce honey from broad/field bees from nectar produced by the flowers, nectar from the extra floral nectaries on the leaf stipules and from honeydew produced by the aphids (if present). Honeybes often take a short cut to the nectaries in the flowers using the holes bitten into the base of the flowers by short tongued bumble bees like Bombus terrestris and B. lucoroum. Going to the beans doesn't guarantee honey as in some years you get nowt whereas in other years it yields very well and the honey is of good quality. You get better yields from autumn sown beans than those sown in the spring which have shorter flowering period, shallower root systems and more prone to drying up.

betterbee · Jun 6, 2015

Please check with farmer about sprays,my friend lost 6 hives on beans last year with spray poisoning,local farmer tells me when he is spraying and i close hives have not had a problem so far

peterbees · Jun 7, 2015

masterBK said:
Bees produce honey from broad/field bees from nectar produced by the flowers, nectar from the extra floral nectaries on the leaf stipules and from honeydew produced by the aphids (if present). Honeybes often take a short cut to the nectaries in the flowers using the holes bitten into the base of the flowers by short tongued bumble bees like Bombus terrestris and B. lucoroum. Going to the beans doesn't guarantee honey as in some years you get nowt whereas in other years it yields very well and the honey is of good quality. You get better yields from autumn sown beans than those sown in the spring which have shorter flowering period, shallower root systems and more prone to drying up.

I'm assessing a couple of Basic candidates tomorrow. I hope they give this answer!