Forage Range

[Cole lynch]

Is there any scientific or observed data on the distances that bees fly for forage?

Or is just what’s been copied n pasted from old books
Seems the usual wildly varying guesstimates circulate

 

[robinharman]

I moved a load of hives 1 mile about three weeks ago when then were flying only on warm afternoons.
No returners found.
Probably doesn’t help much

 

[drex]

In Tom Seeleys book, the lives of bees he gives these figure.
The commonest distance twas 0.7K. Average 2.3K and maximum 10.9 K
From an experiment in 1980

 

[Brian Bush]

Our Association had an interesting talk from a ondon based beekeeper and scientist. He had observed his bees bringing in Himalayan Balsam. The nearest source was 8 miles away!!!

 

[Brian Bush]

Sorry London

 

[Erichalfbee]

The nearest source was 8 miles away!!!

As far as he knew

 

[user 819]

One would think 8 miles is very uneconomical for a bee to forage, as Dani mentions a source very local may have been more likely.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've had bees take in a noticeable amount of heather honey - the nearest heather was almost five miles away. Ricky Wilson once told me he had an apiary that filled supers with heather honey, there was very little forage in that area and the heather was six miles away.

 

[Cole lynch]

Very interesting
Thanks for the info
I live in town but right on the coast so am limited by appx 210 deg

 

[Finman]

There are quite much scientific evidence, how far you can find a bee, you do nothing with that knowledge.

More uselfull it a research, where it was said that ON AVERAGE those bees harvested pollen and nectar at 2 km distance.

I have found that if bees forage rape more than 1km, half of yield is consumed in flying fuel and resting time.

In Finnish archipelago bees were marked to see, how bees used isles as pasture

One marked bee was noticed in a foreign hive 10 km far away.
.
.

 

[Curly green finger's]

We had osr honey last year In our garden hives and the nearest osr was 4 miles away down the hill.

 

[Finman]

We had osr honey last year In our garden hives and the nearest osr was 4 miles away down the hill.

As I said, this kind of rekord knowledge give no advantage in beekeeping. There are many years when bees brought home rape pollen, but I did not find, where was the field.

It is usefull knowledge, what is the distance that I should move hives beside the field. How much I get more honey beside the field.

One case was funny, when I drove several days searching for rape fied, and it was 4 km far away. It was funny to note, that bees had two different routes to the field. One was directly over the forest. Another was 45 degree to another direction. Bees had a route along the road 1 km, and then from the corner of the field they propably continued their way along open fields.

 

[Finman]

Our Association had an interesting talk from a ondon based beekeeper and scientist. He had observed his bees bringing in Himalayan Balsam. The nearest source was 8 miles away!!!

That I do not believe that himalayan balsam is so rare in the UK.

When I have migrated hives in Finland on farming areas, every place gives balsam pollen. Plants grow behind the farm houses and I cannot see them from roads.

40 years ago balsam was ne popular decoration plant and seeds were sold everywhere.

Towns are full of balsam plants.

 

[madasafish]

Without the benefit of aerial surveys of the forage in flower locally, I am unable to comment. There are so many hills and undulations here that a view of what is in flower is largely impossible within a three mile radius. All I can tell is what is local to me and obviously in flower.

HB flowers everywhere here, in the valleys, sides of valleys and along the Moorlands. Most is invisible from more than 250 meters if in damp hollows .

 

[Finman]

It helps when you understand, that it is not necessary to know, what plants grow inside 8 miles radius. It is enough if bees know.

 

[Martin Bee]

Our Association had an interesting talk from a ondon based beekeeper and scientist. He had observed his bees bringing in Himalayan Balsam. The nearest source was 8 miles away!!!

As in the past I worked for Thames Water doing ground maintenance with reservoirs, Sewage treatment works, associated water ways and drainage rivers etc. there is nobody in London more than about 1 mile from Himalayan Balsam. Along with Japanese knotweed it was quite a problem to control.

 

[Somerford]

There are quite much scientific evidence, how far you can find a bee, you do nothing with that knowledge.

More uselfull it a research, where it was said that ON AVERAGE those bees harvested pollen and nectar at 2 km distance.

I have found that if bees forage rape more than 1km, half of yield is consumed in flying fuel and resting time.

In Finnish archipelago bees were marked to see, how bees used isles as pasture

One marked bee was noticed in a foreign hive 10 km far away.
.
.

Hello Finman ! Haven’t seen you here for ages !!

 

[Finman]

Hello Finman ! Haven’t seen you here for ages !!

High. You are right. I should find something better to do. Beekeeping problems here are very strange nowadays

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Our Association had an interesting talk from a ondon based beekeeper and scientist. He had observed his bees bringing in Himalayan Balsam. The nearest source was 8 miles away!!!

I also find that very hard to believe, especially as HB is pretty far down the list of desireable forage for bees, I've found more than once bees ignoring HB a few hundred yards away to forage something with better quality nectar from much further afield.

 

[Brian Bush]

As in the past I worked for Thames Water doing ground maintenance with reservoirs, Sewage treatment works, associated water ways and drainage rivers etc. there is nobody in London more than about 1 mile from Himalayan Balsam. Along with Japanese knotweed it was quite a problem to control.

Thanks Martin that is good to know. The talk was about the lack of forage, particularly in Central London, and the speaker gave this example from his own experience. was not sure if he meant 4 miles each way but was suprised at the time at the distance quoted.