field beans

[Cuckmere couple]

have been offered a chance to move some hives to a crop of field beans....im told this is good nectar

when roughly does it flower and produce nectar?

internet search says march-june so now would seem sensible?

any experience?

 

[enrico]

have been offered a chance to move some hives to a crop of field beans....im told this is good nectar

when roughly does it flower and produce nectar?

internet search says march-june so now would seem sensible?

any experience?

We used to be paid to put bees on them but crops were variable. Rumour has it honey bees can only feed on nectar where bumbles have made a hole in the bottom of the flowers!

 

[Finman]

I have had hives aside field beans over 10 years.
Many say, that it is a good forage plant. But if I cannot see any bees or I cant hear sound of bee in the field, I trust myself. It wouöd be a good pollen plant, but I can see from pollen frames, that it is not.

Field bee is self pollinating.

If you do not see holes in flower tubes, there is no pollinators then in the field. They have something better to do.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've got some near field beans for the first time near the Clee walking the fields yesterday they are 6-8 inches high and by the looks and what the farmer has said from sowing they will start flowering end of April first week in May weather depending.
I know a bf in tenbury that has a good honey crop most years from them, he moves bees to them most years.
From sowing 55 days to flowers are produced. Ours were sown Feb 14th

 

[Curly green finger's]

I have had hives aside field beans over 10 years.
Many say, that it is a good forage plant. But if I cannot see any bees or I cant hear sound of bee in the field, I trust myself. It wouöd be a good pollen plant, but I can see from pollen frames, that it is not.

Field bee is self pollinating.

If you do not see holes in flower tubes, there is no pollinators then in the field. They have something better to do.

Easier forage osr, harwthorne, blossom.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

Winter beans will deliver a crop if the conditions are good during the flowering period.
As already mentioned, honey bees reply upon bumblebees opening an access to the necteries at the base of the flowers. Last year's crop was exceptional and overlapped the end of osr flowering period.
I've never managed to obtain crop from spring sown crops unfortunately.
Massive increase in UK acreage grown over the next few years predicted for beans & peas as a cheaper alternative to soya for chicken & cow farmers.
OSR increasing next year quite substanchally as well to compensate for drop in sunflower oil production from the Ukraine.

 

[Finman]

Massive increase in UK acreage grown over the next few years predicted for beans & peas as a cheaper alternative to soya for chicken & cow farmers.

Soya aminoacids are extremely valuable to animals like in broiler production and in egg production. And in salmon production.

Cattle can use all kinds of nitrogen producers plants like clover. Soya is too expencive to cattle.

 

[Skinfaxi]

Same as finman said I have many hectars of beans around my hives. When you walk into the fields it is usually totally quiet and no bees in sight..
But it may depend on temp and soil moisture aswell.

 

[Finman]

But it may depend on temp and soil moisture aswell.

Not much. I have followed bean over 10 years, and it does not give hope to bees.

Bean does not like wet soil neither dry soil.
The key is bumbblebees If they do holes into flowers, it is then possible to bees.

On one field I can meet bumbble bees in bean flowers, and then I go to another bean field 1 mile away, and there is no holes of bumbble bees. Bumbble bees visit near their hives. Why they should fly everywhere.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have followed bean over 10 years, and it does not give hope to bees

Makes oi fahrt though

 

[Finman]

Makes oi fahrt though

Everyone may do with their bees as they like.

 

[Foxylad]

Winter sown beans flower for longer.

Here in Norfolk it usually over laps with the rape ending.

Makes a lovely dark, slow to set honey with a delicate taste.

Was my highest yielding crop last year.

 

[Finman]

Winter sown beans flower for longer.

Did you see bees and bumbblebees in flowers ?

 

[Foxylad]

Did you see bees and bumbblebees in flowers ?

I did see bumbles and honey bees?

 

[Firefly]

If you Google 'rothamstead honeybees field beans' you'll find they did some real research on this on the 60s:

"
Abstract
1. Honeybees make three types of visit to field beans: to the extrafloral nectaries only (a visits), to obtain nectar through holes at the flower bases (b visits), and by entering the flowers mostly to collect pollen and nectar (c visits). 2. Most bees made visits of only one type; some made a and b visits, or b and c visits, either on the same or different foraging trips, but very few made a and c visits. 3. The relative proportions of the foraging population making the various visits differed on different days and at different times on the same day; the differences mostly resulted from changes in the bees present and not from changes in the behaviour of individuals."

 

[Finman]

I do not mind, what researchers say.
I can myself to see, how many the field has.

Beekeepers like to tell that they got a good yield. But how often / 10 years?

 

[Firefly]

I do not mind, what researchers say.
I can myself to see, how many the field has.

Beekeepers like to tell that they got a good yield. But how often / 10 years?

I'll let you know in June - I have some beans close enough for the bees to walk to

 

[JamezF]

I'll let you know in June - I have some beans close enough for the bees to walk to

I've (ahem) "been" told today that there are sixty-odd acres of field beans starting literally a stone's throw from some colonies I have at a local farm. Due to flower middle of June-ish, apparently. It will be interesting to see what happens.

James

 

[deemann1]

I walked a field of beans last year . The sound of bees both honey bees and bumble bees was amazing i got a good crop off it too

 

[robinharman]

My lady farmer was only talking about the beans yesterday. Should be properly flowering in about three weeks here in South East Essex. The neighbouring farmer has 180 acres of the stuff. Lots of the OSR locally is a variety that does not give a nectar for bees.