Do bees like Gladioli corm flowers?

[simonforeman]

Question is in the title...

The farmer has just set approx 150 acres of Gladioli corms in the field next door to my house, literally 20 feet form my hives...looking them up they flower approx 70 days from planting so with good weather mid July should be in full bloom.... im sure they will pick for cut flowers most of them but sure there will be loads left for the bees if they like them....
Been looking up on google but can not find if the bees will get lots of nectar and pollen from them or not, Anybody had experiences with these?

 

[Finman]

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That I know from my garden that flowering time is short. About 1-2 weeks.

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[Apiglen]

And if they are for cut flowers they will be picked before they are open [emoji4]

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

 

[simonforeman]

Yer i expect most will be cut while in bud but as with daffs tulips etc thete will be some that will be left in flower.... And also as they lift them after flowering/cutting there are always plenty get left in the ground mixed in with the next crop next year.

But back to my question... do bees like them?

I have also now the farmer has finished for the day but not quite finished the field helped myself to a couple of carrier bags full for my garden. That payment for him hiding his tractor and corms behind my house for the night....

 

[Jambo]

I had some in the garden last year and the bees were certainly crawling into them. There's nothing in Kirk & Howes' book though.