Daffodils!

[gavin]

I have a large Alder which produces seed bearing cones annually, I have never seen it worked by bees ?, maybe it's a female tree ? anyone know ? save me from doing a google search .
John

Hi John

No, the trees have both sexes of flowers. The males are in those dangly bits and the females in smaller cones on the twigs.

Like hazel it is essentially a wind pollinated plant. Bees certainly work hazel sometimes - but I've never seen them on alder.

Best wishes

Gavin

 

[victor meldrew]

Thanks Gavin,
thought as much; the goldfinches certainly like the seeds from the Alder, also the seeds are extremely viable, I have to spend more than a little time uprooting saplings .
John

 

[Finman]

.
Here alder is loved by bees - if weather is a such that they can fly.
At that time we have no another plants in bloom and snow cover is usually on ground.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi Gavin,

I have looked up the colour for Elm and there is conflicting colouration.

Sawyer - white to grey.
Pollen card - grey brown.
Kirk - dirty mustard - slightly lighter in colour - grey brown.

Hope that is of help.

Regards;

 

[BKF Admin]

Hi Bcrazy,
Regards Kirk,is this the book its from ?

I am after a good pollen book,I already have the pollen card.

 

[Bcrazy]

Yes that's the one.

Before you go and buy it I would recommend Sawyer - Pollen identification for beekeepers.

There is very little information in the Kirk book and he has used some colours from Dorothy Hodges book.

Sawyer has plenty of information and a few photo's of pollen grains with detailed description about the individual pollen grains. Its a book that I could not do without.

Regards;

 

[BKF Admin]

I can only find Pollen identification for beekeepers on cd-rom ?
Is it a book as well ?

 

[Bcrazy]

I can only find Pollen identification for beekeepers on cd-rom ?
Is it a book as well ?

Hi Admin,
The CD is a photographic selection of loads of pollen grains which are identified and sizes given. Extreamly handy if one is into collecting pollen grains and making microscopic slides, for a reference library.

The book that goes along with the CD is as posted, I think NBB sell the book.

Regards;

 

[gavin]

I have looked up the colour for Elm and there is conflicting colouration.

Thanks Bcrazy. If there is a (variable) colour given it suggests that bees will turn it into pollen loads. Somehow down the microscope it looks more substantial, certainly than alder which has a thin look about it. I've never seen bees on it, but then again the flowers are often out of reach. Our elm trees have mostly gone, but there is a lot of regrowth from stumps.

G.

 

[BKF Admin]

Do you guys know what pollen is next for England and Scotland for the bees to collect in numbers,is it the fruit trees ?

 

[subbuteo]

I bought from here here: http://www.gee-tee.co.uk/

but they charge ?10 for delivery!

Their actual prices are good though (bulbs at 3-4p each). Lawn has a fine sprinkling of bulbs this year for the first time. I planted them with a crow bar, knocked a lot of holes in the turf, dropped in some sand, dropped in a bulb and covered with compost.

 

[MJBee]

Mine are going mad on gorse at the moment -returning to the hive like little yellow powder puffs, absolutely covered
Mike

 

[mikeyspikey]

Pollen guide

Quite a good one her online

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source

 

[taff..]

I saw this little one buzzing about yesterday morning landing on every single daff flower and then taking off straight away.

sorry about the picture quality, I only had my phone with me.

 

[Tremyfro]

Aconite corms, they look like little gritty stones....and are very poisonous. They were favoured by wives..who wanted to dispatch their husbands...in days gone by. We have a lot of celandine coming up in the base of the hedges...do bees like those?