Forsythia

[MuswellMetro]

i was told Honeybees cannot take nectar from forsythia due to the shape of the flower

however i saw some Carnolian honey bees trying today, have they longer tongues

 

[justme]

Thats good news then for now at least, I have some carni's from a swarm I got last year and theres quite a few forsythias around here.

For now at least as I'm hoping to get some more local type queens this year.

 

[For want of a better word]

My Carniolians were going nuts on the Daphne today.... the NZ mob were going somewhere else !

Carnies are almost black, the NZs are blonde in comparison..... no Forsythia out yet, but will see which lot go for it!

 

[hedgerow pete]

accoding to my books the flower is 12mm long compared to a bee toungue of 8 mm. but the two points that could happen is bitting the flower to gain accessand or pollon

 

[BKF Admin]

Do bumbles cut a hole in the flower for them to feed from?

 

[richardbees]

Pete, what does your book give as the flower length of Pineapple broom (Cytisus), very very similar to Forsythia ?
rich

 

[tonybloke]

Do bumbles cut a hole in the flower for them to feed from?

bumbles do this on Wisteria, I've sat and watched them do it

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I saw a few of my bees on the Forsythia yesterday. It was a very warm day and the flowers were pretty wide open. They didn't seem to be having any trouble getting right in.

 

[Teemore]

My bees have been making use of Forsythia for about a week and a half which I was glad to see. I am also seeing them bringing pollen from Gorse and I watched them visiting daffodils over the weekend - even though I read that daffodil pollen isn't good for honeybees (not sure why that would be the case - does anyone know if it is toxic to them?)
In terms of other blooms, we are probably at least three to weeks behind the South of England.......

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I watched them visiting daffodils over the weekend - even though I read that daffodil pollen isn't good for honeybees (not sure why that would be the case - does anyone know if it is toxic to them?)

I've never heard that before. It worries me a little as mine were all over the daffodils yesterday bringing back so much pollen they could barely get airborne again!

 

[louiseww]

Yes some bumbles cut holes at the base of the flower but honey bees don't. The length of the proboscis of the garden bumble is 12.30mm - so they can acccess quite a few flowers that most honey bees can't.
Mine are bringing in dandelion pollen and other which I can't identify, just yellow but they are now flying further and not bothering with the garden flowers so they are clearly enjoying this weather. 15 C here today and set to be 17 tomorrow.
Louise

 

[Queens59]

I saw a few of my bees on the Forsythia yesterday. It was a very warm day and the flowers were pretty wide open. They didn't seem to be having any trouble getting right in.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I've never heard that before. It worries me a little as mine were all over the daffodils yesterday bringing back so much pollen they could barely get airborne again!

i think it contain the alkaloid poison lycorine, the bulbs of daffs are very poisonous and i suspect lycorine is in all of the plant including the pollen

 

[Teemore]

i suspect lycorine is in all of the plant including the pollen

I wonder how much of an effect it will have on bee larvae..... I'm hoping the bees know their own tolerance levels to the lycorine!

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I wonder how much of an effect it will have on bee larvae..... I'm hoping the bees know their own tolerance levels to the lycorine!

Both bees and daffodils have been around for a long time, I can't imagine it's a massive problem.

 

[tkwinston4]

i think it contain the alkaloid poison lycorine, the bulbs of daffs are very poisonous and i suspect lycorine is in all of the plant including the pollen

Didn't I hear once that you can eat the flowers of daffs?

 

[broandy]

Didn't I hear once that you can eat the flowers of daffs?

I rather have a pork chop but hey yo carry on eating yor daffs lol

 

[Baggyone]

I hope my bees can get in to forsythia as there are loads around here and I got one last year and planted it in me garden!

 

[Easy Beesy]

"Carnolian honey bees .................., have they longer tongues"

I thought it was Caucasians that had the long tongues?

 

[onriver]

I've heard that almonds contain a substance toxic to bees as well - apparently it works fine nutritionally as long as there are other pollen / nectar sources to offset the toxin. Fascinating implications - why on earth does the almond (or daffodil) try and poison one of its major pollinators?
could be another factor in why american beekeepers who subject their bees to a 3 week diet of almonds have so many problems?
what complexity of toxicity / nutrition is going on ?