Limited experience tells me it's true for bell on heathland: two years out of the four that I've had bees there it rained in May & June and the heather performed, this year for the best.
Well that’s easy. You have two choices.
I tend to agree but I have 18 colonys up there so there is more of a chance of her Mating so I will try it if she doesn't come back then the colony will get united.
Agree, every apiary is flying to the heather it really is an exceptional year for it. Even down in the town they are flying to it. Better flow than balsam judging by the smell and pollen going in.
Interesting year indeedy
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If course it does
No, pls share though?
Think I'm a good week behind you - further north. The highest temperature I've had directly on the moor was 17C (21C in the valley 4 miles away). They've been flying v hard at 14C. Pleasure to watch. This last week has been brilliant, as less wind, nice calm conditions.Interesting year indeedy
date stands the flow started on the 10th of August at the above photo.
It has slowed right down at low levels on the Clee, not to many frames but brood nests are chocker for winter and with the ivy, I won't be feeding half of my colonys, well worth moving them to Heather. I've sourced a press as I'm going to be extracting from 18 colonys.
A few things to do differently.
1. Keep colonys separated / spaced because of drifting, one of the stacks of two was A demaree and the brood box and two supers are all but capped, you can watch the drifting with the activity at the entrance.
2. Never presume just because flowers are out in force that this is going to produce a good nectar flow, it has know meaning at all.
Watching the entrance for copious amounts of Heather pollen and the general flow activity you see when there is one.
3.Heather produces nectar at very low temps lower than I thought.
Well where does heather grow?
Mainly grows up on high ground on shallow peat beds, scree rock and acid soil. Not defined to this though as it will grow very well in lowland areas.
I think your right Elaine maybe a week behind me here, even in the wind these black girls do work hard, yesterday i sat watching the colonys while having dinner wondering how long it will last.
Where the temperature is?
Pardon at ground level?
Well isn’t the temperature generally cooler on moorland? Would you think that a plant evolved to attract insects at a lower temperature might secrete nectar at a cooler one than say clover which needs 20 degrees plus to produce?
3c different every 1000ft you climb. Yeah I get it dani, don't forget I've lived on hills most of my life and around alpine flora, but not so long with the bees being up here.
Well we got there
. Painful
