Hairy willow herb nectar?

[alancooper]

My bees are bringing in lemon-yellow pollen loads which I think might be Hairy willow herb (Epilobium hirsutum). Does anyone know if honey bees exploit it for nectar? I have not seen honey bees on it, but It flowers July/August and is reasonablycommon in Fermanagh.

 

[Curly green finger's]

My bees are bringing in lemon-yellow pollen loads which I think might be Hairy willow herb (Epilobium hirsutum). Does anyone know if honey bees exploit it for nectar? I have not seen honey bees on it, but It flowers July/August and is reasonablycommon in Fermanagh.

Yes they will but if there are other sources they will utilise them instead.

Its flowering well this year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My bees are bringing in lemon-yellow pollen loads which I think might be Hairy willow herb (Epilobium hirsutum). Does anyone know if honey bees exploit it for nectar?

Unlike its cousin the Rosebay willowherb (which is a great nectar source for bees) the greater (or hairy) willowherb is seldom visited by honeybees so is not rated as a honey provider.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My bees are bringing in lemon-yellow pollen loads which I think might be Hairy willow herb (Epilobium hirsutum). Does anyone know if honey bees exploit it for nectar? I have not seen honey bees on it, but It flowers July/August and is reasonablycommon in Fermanagh.

I have seen the odd bee collecting nectar here but the Rosebay is flowering right across the valley and the bees are foraging there. Bees like flowers in swathes so if there is a big stand of it somewhere they will use it but it’s not a great source

 

[Finman]

Rosebay has blue pollen. How hairy willow herb could have yellow? Look the flowers, are there any bees and what color or pollen they gather.
If bees' abdomen if fat, they get nectar.

But flowers are few in stems. Whar I have seen some bugs eate flowers.

 

[masterBK]

My bees seem to like the "hairy one" which grows abundantly in damp ditches and near local streams

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Rosebay has blue pollen. How hairy willow herb could have yellow?

Because Hairy (or greater) willowherb Epilobium hirsutum is a different flower to Rosebay willowherb Chamerion angustifolium
do the same as you do with everything else - Google it

 

[Finman]

Because Hairy (or greater) willowherb Epilobium hirsutum is a different flower to Rosebay willowherb Chamerion angustifolium
do the same as you do with everything else - Google it

I can see from the names that they are different species. Many plant families have same color pollen.

Jenkins have you really seen that bees gathred yellow pollen from hairy willowherb?

Have somebody else seen a bee in hairy plant with yellow pollen?

Like Alancooper said, he has not seen bees in hairy willow herb flowers. But he bet something.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Jenkins have you really seen that bees gathred yellow pollen from hairy willowherb?

Dr F.N. Howse who wrote the definitive book on plants for bees, and pollen colours has and Dr William Kirk, who wrote the revised and extended edition has also seen bees take it, and has analysed the plant's pollen. So I'll take their facts rather than your opinion (both have got a few more biology degrees than you have)

 

[Finman]

Dr F.N. Howse who wrote the definitive book on plants for bees, and pollen colours has and Dr William Kirk, who wrote the revised and extended edition has also seen bees take it, and has analysed the plant's pollen. So I'll take their facts rather than your opinion (both have got a few more biology degrees than you have)

It does not make you smarter than me. I have allways verified the color in vivo "bee in the flower."

Why your auyhors must be allways professors or doctors in a simple issue. Everyone can see the color?

 

[alancooper]

I will collect some pollen from a bee, visit a site with Epilobium hirsutum ( lots of it on a nearby Lough shore) to check pollen colour on the flower and prepare a microscope slide to look at pollen morphology.
I think maybe these days laziness is setting in.
Alan.

 

[Martimart]

My Bee’s are taking something very different over the past week or so, for the first time that I’ve noticed about 30% of the bee’s flying into the hive have the tops of their heads absolutely covered in white dust / pollen. Not in baskets on their legs just their heads… but its the first time i’ve noticed it and they have drawn and filled a super in the last 10 days or so.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Balsam?

 

[user 819]

My Bee’s are taking something very different over the past week or so, for the first time that I’ve noticed about 30% of the bee’s flying into the hive have the tops of their heads absolutely covered in white dust / pollen. Not in baskets on their legs just their heads… but its the first time i’ve noticed it and they have drawn and filled a super in the last 10 days or so.

As Dani say's, Himalayan Balsam. I have some near me the only time the bees have bothered with it was about 11 years ago.

 

[Erichalfbee]

As Dani say's, Himalayan Balsam. I have some near me the only time the bees have bothered with it was about 11 years ago.

It's funny how in some areas it provides a crop. I do see bees on it but it rarely produces anything of significance

 

[Finman]

I planted balsam on my cottage property 40 years ago. Bees are very fond on balsam, but bumbble bees handle the nectar before bees. When bumbble bees are all died at autumn, nectar is avaiable to bees. This way it has gone 90% out of years.

This summer we had enormous amount of bumbbles, but now they are allmost all dead. Summer was too hot and dry to keep bumbbles alive.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I notice quite a few flowers attract bumbles first. Bumbles fly in cooler conditions too

 

[Martimart]

Balsam?View attachment 27817

That's it, they look just like that, thank you.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Dr F.N. Howse who wrote the definitive book on plants for bees, and pollen colours has and Dr William Kirk, who wrote the revised and extended edition has also seen bees take it, and has analysed the plant's pollen. So I'll take their facts rather than your opinion (both have got a few more biology degrees than you have)

What does having degrees got to do with anything?
Doesn't mean your more intelligent or know more I mean what about vetch for instance, said beekeepers said it was no good as a nectar/honey source?
Finman has qualifications as do we all in whatever, mine is enthusiasm.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What does having degrees got to do with anything?

In this case it means they know a heck of a lot more than you about pollen and nectar producing plants, and I know which I'd believe.