Clover

[Beefriendly]

I suppose they will forage on plants that are easier to collect nectar/ pollen from first . and then as a secondary measure work the harder plants like heather, beans ect.

Yup, you got it.

 

[drex]

Quality of,pollen varies from plant to plant. Different total protein content, different mix of amino acids, some of which are " essential" for bee health and may be missing from certain pollens. Hence the bees will collect a variety of pollen to ensure a balanced diet
Similarly sugar content of nectar varies from plant to plant. The bees will go for the most cost effective nectar, depending on ease of harvest, distance, sugar content etc
Some plants will only secrete nectar at certain times of day also, and the bees know this

 

[Curly green fingers]

Quality of,pollen varies from plant to plant. Different total protein content, different mix of amino acids, some of which are " essential" for bee health and may be missing from certain pollens. Hence the bees will collect a variety of pollen to ensure a balanced diet
Similarly sugar content of nectar varies from plant to plant. The bees will go for the most cost effective nectar, depending on ease of harvest, distance, sugar content etc
Some plants will only secrete nectar at certain times of day also, and the bees know this

So the more variety a diet a honey bee has the healthier they would be. If the pollen source was such as they could only collect from one type of plant say in the autumn only gorse would this make any difference to the health of your colony for that coming winter. I'm reading up on flipping amino acids now ... I've got square eyes as it is

 

[drex]

Variety is important re pollen, since this is their only source of the amino acids. For nectar they will prefer to go with the most cost effective source, but different scouts finding different sources, will still result in some variety

 

[Swarm]

So the more variety a diet a honey bee has the healthier they would be. If the pollen source was such as they could only collect from one type of plant say in the autumn only gorse would this make any difference to the health of your colony for that coming winter. I'm reading up on flipping amino acids now ... I've got square eyes as it is

Bees tend to become grouchy on mono crops, maybe there's a reason? A good variety of pollen is essential for colony health IMO and the bees have their established favourites.

 

[Millet]

I have lots of thistles up here to I haven't seen my bee's foraging on these as yet . they didn't tutch the gorse either until the autumn . I suppose they will forage on plants that are easier to collect nectar/ pollen from first . and then as a secondary measure work the harder plants like heather, beans ect.

Mine have around 15 acres of wild untouched land to forage on that is full of thistles right on there doorstep and when it starts flowering it is covered in bees and every other insect from butterflies to pollen beetles, they also have a field of clover right near them that also gets covered in bees, even with all this 15 yards from the hive they still fly a distance away to a patch of gorse andinto the flower beds on exotic flowers.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Mine have around 15 acres of wild untouched land to forage on that is full of thistles right on there doorstep and when it starts flowering it is covered in bees and every other insect from butterflies to pollen beetles, they also have a field of clover right near them that also gets covered in bees, even with all this 15 yards from the hive they still fly a distance away to a patch of gorse andinto the flower beds on exotic flowers.

That's one hell of a field of thistles is that fireweed in the foreground?

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[Birdie Wife]

Long-tongued bumblebees (such as garden bumblebee and common carder bumblebee) really love red clover, but the florets are too long for honeybees to get into so they don't generally bother.

Wild clover is better because agricultural sown clover is not produced for its nectar but for its nitrogen-fixing abilities. The strains that are used are generally much lower in nectar because of this. It's classed as a short lived perennial and needs to set seed to perpetuate itself.

 

[Millet]

That's one hell of a field of thistles is that fireweed in the foreground?

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No it is all thistle and that is one of three fields, the surrounding hedges have fire weed and broad leaf willow herb that the bees also like.

 

[Curly green fingers]

No it is all thistle and that is one of three fields, the surrounding hedges have fire weed and broad leaf willow herb that the bees also like.

Its nice to see fields that have been left does it ever get cut down.

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[Millet]

Its nice to see fields that have been left does it ever get cut down.

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Normally it is left go wild but this summer the folk who rent the land for horses cleared around 1acre in one of the fields after it had seeded.. so it will be the same again next year, i do not think they know how hard them thistles are to keep on top of, not a bad thing for the bees though..

 

[Curly green fingers]

Its a shame they didn't do the whole field the thistles would come back ten fold. Is that a picture of one of your girls ? I've never tasted thistle honey what's it like. Sorry I'm coming and going I'm lambing some pole Dorset's down for a friend it seems like there setting each other off going to be a long night .....

 

[Millet]

Its a shame they didn't do the whole field the thistles would come back ten fold. Is that a picture of one of your girls ? I've never tasted thistle honey what's it like. Sorry I'm coming and going I'm lambing some pole Dorset's down for a friend it seems like there setting each other off going to be a long night .....

No need for apologizes i know what the lambing season is like, i worked for a friend farmer 7yrs in a row for 4wks of each year lambing 600, texels/suffolks and mules, fun times i miss especially with the hogs and gimmers.. lol..

Anyway back on topic that is one of my little darlings and i can not say if it was thistle honey i have tasted as i do not have a microscope to check the pollen's and the forage is vast, on the field subject it does not matter if it is cut or not the area is a weed farm, out of 30acres half of that is thistle the rest is every weed in the UK apart from Jap Knot weed, enjoy your lambing and lets get back to the OP about Clover.
Another one of my employees lol.
Cheers
Steve.

 

[Curly green fingers]

No need for apologizes i know what the lambing season is like, i worked for a friend farmer 7yrs in a row for 4wks of each year lambing 600, texels/suffolks and mules, fun times i miss especially with the hogs and gimmers.. lol..

Anyway back on topic that is one of my little darlings and i can not say if it was thistle honey i have tasted as i do not have a microscope to check the pollen's and the forage is vast, on the field subject it does not matter if it is cut or not the area is a weed farm, out of 30acres half of that is thistle the rest is every weed in the UK apart from Jap Knot weed, enjoy your lambing and lets get back to the OP about Clover.
Another one of my employees lol.
Cheers
Steve.

Further more to my research I have found out that this clover is our native species and would be the best white clover to grow for our honey bee's . when buying the seed I would just clarify with the seed bank that the seed is our native species. Perhaps even buy from an organic/wildflower merchant . here's a link with a bit more info
https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/weeds/white-clover

Cheers mark

 

[For want of a better word]

Further more to my research I have found out that this clover is our native species and would be the best white clover to grow for our honey bee's . when buying the seed I would just clarify with the seed bank that the seed is our native species. Perhaps even buy from an organic/wildflower merchant . here's a link with a bit more info
https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/weeds/white-clover

Cheers mark

Bees will do... no need for the apostrophe!

Good call otherwise

One out apiary is on an alpaca farm.... the owners cut the clover in the fields that the alpacas are in as soon as it flowers... apparently contains a compound that can kill them!

Other fields on the farm are grazed alternate years by sheep, and when left fallow have an amasing amount of white clover..... Honey sampled by Cornwall Trading Standards to set the background pollen assay for the County, showed 80% of white clover pollen, with native sweet chestnut , the second highest in the pollen count.

No lucern ( Alfalfa) pollen.....but perhaps it was not being foraged by the bees, despite about 10 acres of it in flower.
Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

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I really wonder why your honey should be from "native" plants. That makes no sense.

 

[Curly green fingers]

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I really wonder why your honey should be from "native" plants. That makes no sense.

To Whom??
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_plant

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

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I really wonder why your honey should be from "native" plants. That makes no sense.

When has making sense bothered you in the past?

 

[Finman]

To Whom??
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_plant

To your native honey consumers.
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The British are famous for importing all kinds on plants around the world and now you are crying after native plants.

 

[Finman]

When has making sense bothered you in the past?

Because I have never understood your nonsense.
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