Fireweed, hawthorn and lime

[Abercroft]

Hi all, second year beek here. Backyard beekeeper. I have lots of fireweed, hawthorn, sycamore, and lime close to me. NEVER see a bee on them. I’ve never seen a bee on the sycamore. Fireweed blooming now, no bees. Hawthorn, many trees in my area…no bees. Lime trees, large, and tall, full of flowers. No bees. I even have bird cherries and cherry laurel growing wild all very near to me. I’ve never seen a bee on them.

I’m having to feed my bees. If it weren’t for the cotoneaster in my garden they would be goners. Internet full of advice saying these four are great bee plants. I’m confused. Those large lime trees down the street were part of why I thought I could keep bees. I know where there are a few Himalayan Balsam plants are…thinking of bringing some into the hedgerows near me. I don’t know.

I’m not even looking for a crop anymore, just keeping the ladies alive. I’m thinking my area is at the far limit of where bees can survive. Maybe I should just let them starve and pick another hobby? If it weren’t for the farmers and the rapeseed in May, my bees would just be pets, dependent on me for food. I love my bees and love having them around, but I’m very discouraged.
I’m in the Montrose area, Scotland.

 

[drex]

Persevere. It has been a bad year, especially up there, or so I've heard. Next year could be completely different. You have a duty of care.

 

[Garry R]

Hi all, second year beek here. Backyard beekeeper. I have lots of fireweed, hawthorn, sycamore, and lime close to me. NEVER see a bee on them. I’ve never seen a bee on the sycamore. Fireweed blooming now, no bees. Hawthorn, many trees in my area…no bees. Lime trees, large, and tall, full of flowers. No bees. I even have bird cherries and cherry laurel growing wild all very near to me. I’ve never seen a bee on them.

I’m having to feed my bees. If it weren’t for the cotoneaster in my garden they would be goners. Internet full of advice saying these four are great bee plants. I’m confused. Those large lime trees down the street were part of why I thought I could keep bees. I know where there are a few Himalayan Balsam plants are…thinking of bringing some into the hedgerows near me. I don’t know.

I’m not even looking for a crop anymore, just keeping the ladies alive. I’m thinking my area is at the far limit of where bees can survive. Maybe I should just let them starve and pick another hobby? If it weren’t for the farmers and the rapeseed in May, my bees would just be pets, dependent on me for food. I love my bees and love having them around, but I’m very discouraged.

I kept bees successfully in Aberdeenshire for over 30 years so there is no problem in Montrose. There is a lady on Orkney who posts on the forum so Montrose is "tropical" by comparison. This year has been tricky so say the least everywhere, from looking at starvation five weeks ago to 2, 3 and 4 supers full in some places. It is amazing if you get the weather how quickly a turn round occurs. Stick with it. Make sure they are very well fed in the autumn (20kg +) and a good eye on them in January/Feb/March with fondant at the ready. A dog will cost you a fortune and you get no return except a slobbery hug!

 

[Murox]

Well I am on the Kintyre peninsular and I can say that bees make use of those few plants you mentioned. But you must also consider at what temperature those plants produce nectar, some need around 20 degrees. This year has been cold (only 15 degrees today even), wet and particularly windy so far giving bees a hard life. I have had to feed a couple of colonies as well, the lack of nectar has held them back too. You mentioned sycamore, here the few trees we have bloomed and looked really promising,BUT along came another storm and literally blasted flowers and leaves off the trees. Right now they are making the most of late blackberry and all the usual summer flowering "weeds". Of course where your apiary is sited in relation to local forage will also have an impact. Are you a member of East Scotland Beekeepers or the Scottish Beekeepers Association ? Have you come across the Apiarist web pages ? He has a large 'library' of information covering just about all aspects of keeping bees.
I wish you well.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

You have one of , if not THE, biggest bee farmer in the UK just south of you and he's had a dreadful year. I follow Murray McGregor (@Into the lions den here) on Twitter. This a few days ago;-

"Grim. Out at bees. Fed twice in last 4 weeks. Bags of flowering white clover. Starving again. Zero nectar whatsoever. These have been trough a full.OSR flowering, has100 acres of beans just finiahed...now have abundant clover. No nectar since 2nd wk of May."
4:11 PM · Jul 10, 2024

He had bees next to a field of phacelia and was optimistic. They let sheep eat it!

As hobbyists at least we don't have a big financial investment. I've thought that I treat my bees as "pets" but they are "livestock" that you take responsibility for. The wild insect populations have suffered badly this year hence some threads on here.
Your bees may not always make enough honey to pay for their keep but at least it's cheaper than golf.

 

[Abercroft]

I wonder if I’m just too far north. At some point, the latitude must come into play.
Don’t worry, I will feed them. I was told last year was awful, but I got enough honey for my own needs. And that was the first year for me.

Bees build up great in the spring and then the rapeseed comes in, and then nothing.
My bees are all over the place looking, looking, looking.

I know there are commercial keepers around me. So they must feed constantly in bad years.
So just where is that global warming they keep promising me?

Thanks for the replies and encouragement.

 

[Abercroft]

Well I am on the Kintyre peninsular and I can say that bees make use of those few plants you mentioned. But you must also consider at what temperature those plants produce nectar, some need around 20 degrees. This year has been cold (only 15 degrees today even), wet and particularly windy so far giving bees a hard life. I have had to feed a couple of colonies as well, the lack of nectar has held them back too. You mentioned sycamore, here the few trees we have bloomed and looked really promising,BUT along came another storm and literally blasted flowers and leaves off the trees. Right now they are making the most of late blackberry and all the usual summer flowering "weeds". Of course where your apiary is sited in relation to local forage will also have an impact. Are you a member of East Scotland Beekeepers or the Scottish Beekeepers Association ? Have you come across the Apiarist web pages ? He has a large 'library' of information covering just about all aspects of keeping bees.
I wish you well.

Ah yes, it has been pretty windy where I am. I wonder. The lime is just now going from bud to bloom but there are only a few small bumbles on them. And my bees ranging around the garden like they have nowhere to go. Large stand of beautiful fireweed next to the hives…no bees.
I do get the Apiarist, and am a member of that bee club. But all they say is “shrugged shoulders”. Bad year. Which is what they said last year. Someone told me the lime only produces nectar 1-2 years out of ten. Do they just feed sugar water the other nine years?
I will keep going, but I’ve already spend loads, and lost lots of sleep. *sigh*
This is worse than having my first child!

 

[Abercroft]

You have one of , if not THE, biggest bee farmer in the UK just south of you and he's had a dreadful year. I follow Murray McGregor (@Into the lions den here) on Twitter. This a few days ago;-

"Grim. Out at bees. Fed twice in last 4 weeks. Bags of flowering white clover. Starving again. Zero nectar whatsoever. These have been trough a full.OSR flowering, has100 acres of beans just finiahed...now have abundant clover. No nectar since 2nd wk of May."
4:11 PM · Jul 10, 2024

He had bees next to a field of phacelia and was optimistic. They let sheep eat it!

As hobbyists at least we don't have a big financial investment. I've thought that I treat my bees as "pets" but they are "livestock" that you take responsibility for. The wild insect populations have suffered badly this year hence some threads on here.
Your bees may not always make enough honey to pay for their keep but at least it's cheaper than golf.

Haha! It’s also I lot more interesting than golf!
Thank goodness for bags of Costco sugar!

I do follow McGregor, but I often don’t get his tweets. I don’t know why.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Haha! It’s also I lot more interesting than golf!
Thank goodness for bags of Costco sugar!

I do follow McGregor, but I often don’t get his tweets. I don’t know why.

Off to get some sugar from Booker today to feed my swarms and nucs here too.

Your post made me think, is there anything like keeping bees? Couldn't think of anything.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So just where is that global warming they keep promising me?

Alas, global warming means warmer winters and wetter summers

I do follow McGregor, but I often don’t get his tweets. I don’t know why.

Make sure you have notifications turned on for all his posts.

I wonder if I’m just too far north.

Bees are kept in Orkney

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I know where there are a few Himalayan Balsam plants are…thinking of bringing some into the hedgerows near me.

Totally irresponsible thing to do - especially since it's illegal to allow it to spread

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Make sure you have notifications turned on for all his posts.

Click the "Following" tab rather than "For you". ?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Totally irresponsible thing to do - especially since it's illegal to allow it to spread

There's a huge swathe of it along the banks of the Yorkshire Ouse about 5 miles from me. A couple of small patches along the main drainage dykes in my locality but they just don't seem to get going. I don't know why as the IDB studiously avoid clearing dykes as often as really required. I have a small boundary ditch where for years there's been 5 or 6 plants grow each year but again they just will not spread.

 

[Peterjay]

Hi all, second year beek here. Backyard beekeeper. I have lots of fireweed, hawthorn, sycamore, and lime close to me. NEVER see a bee on them. I’ve never seen a bee on the sycamore. Fireweed blooming now, no bees. Hawthorn, many trees in my area…no bees. Lime trees, large, and tall, full of flowers. No bees. I even have bird cherries and cherry laurel growing wild all very near to me. I’ve never seen a bee on them.

I’m having to feed my bees. If it weren’t for the cotoneaster in my garden they would be goners. Internet full of advice saying these four are great bee plants. I’m confused. Those large lime trees down the street were part of why I thought I could keep bees. I know where there are a few Himalayan Balsam plants are…thinking of bringing some into the hedgerows near me. I don’t know.

I’m not even looking for a crop anymore, just keeping the ladies alive. I’m thinking my area is at the far limit of where bees can survive. Maybe I should just let them starve and pick another hobby? If it weren’t for the farmers and the rapeseed in May, my bees would just be pets, dependent on me for food. I love my bees and love having them around, but I’m very discouraged.
I’m in the Montrose area, Scotland.

I'm north of you, and at the appropriate times of year, our bees have foraged on sycamore, cherries and just now, now the rosebay willow-herb. Later they will find the balsam no matter how far they have to go.
The problem always, and more seriously this year, is that as nature intended, the nectar they get from each crop is mainly used to ensure survival until the next. The surplus honey crop is dependent on your type of bee, hive management, the availability of forage and the weather. There will always be factors that are compromised, and this year, the weather is a big one.
But I would be surprised if your bees didn't end up making a successful, final fling of the season....keep us posted, and here's hoping for the best..