Heather predictions this year

[ericbeaumont]

pure as it gets around here.

Deserves a photo, Darren.

 

[Midget Gem]

Post 71.

The photos aren't labelled and I don't know which is which.

 

[Swarm]

Is this bell or ling heather?
View attachment 40747

That is Bell Heather.

 

[ericbeaumont]

The photos aren't labelled and I don't know which is which.

Yes, but only the third photo (and yours) shows a flower in the shape of a bell.

 

[biglongdarren]

Bees piling the heather in here, the last hives I set up had bees cleared into brood boxes with foundation on Thursday and moved to the mountains on Friday evening, checked yesterday(Sunday) and they had the broods drawn out and starting to fill.

 

[peterbees]

Bell heather showing well on Conwy Mountain, with Carneddau ponies.
Thanks to Conwy Valley Ramblers for these pics, taken yesterday.
Ling heather to follow!

 

[Antipodes]

Bell heather showing well on Conwy Mountain, with Carneddau ponies.
Thanks to Conwy Valley Ramblers for these pics, taken yesterday.
Ling heather to follow!

Nice.
Do you know what the yellow flower amongst the heather is?

 

[peterbees]

Nice.
Do you know what the yellow flower amongst the heather is?

Gorse.
We have a saying here "Gorse is in flower when kissing is in favour". All the time!

 

[ericbeaumont]

broods drawn out and starting to fill.

Unwired?

 

[Antipodes]

Gorse.
We have a saying here "Gorse is in flower when kissing is in favour". All the time!

That's interesting. We have gorse here, which I thought was the same as the one over there, but it only seems to flower through winter and spring. This was one a few weeks back.

 

[Swarm]

That's interesting. We have gorse here, which I thought was the same as the one over there, but it only seems to flower through winter and spring. This was one a few weeks back.

I think we have a couple of varieties which flower at different times, hence why you will always find gorse in flower, somewhere.

 

[Murox]

the gorse we have here will flower most of the year through. Right now its not blooming but in a few weeks it will start again and continue through winter on and off peaking in early May usually.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bell heather showing well on Conwy Mountain, with Carneddau ponies.
Thanks to Conwy Valley Ramblers for these pics, taken yesterday.
Ling heather to follow!

That looks wonderful

 

[biglongdarren]

Up again this evening and the flow here is massive, A full brood drawn out and filled and a super on top of that filled since Friday is my best, the rest are filling anything they have too. Am I right in thinking the lighter honey in the middle is ling, it can't be anything else where they are sited.

 

[peterbees]

My earlist ever ling heather honey, 1st August, Carneddau mountains, north Wales.

 

[biglongdarren]

The heather flow is at a stand still here in the Mournes, the ling has yet to really start although nearly in full flower now, bees were still working the bell last weekend. Frames starting to get capped.

 

[Curly green finger's]

We have gorse flowering all year in various places on the hills as far as I’m aware they are all the same variety

 

[Antipodes]

The heather flow is at a stand still here in the Mournes, the ling has yet to really start although nearly in full flower now, bees were still working the bell last weekend. Frames starting to get capped.

Fantastic to see.

 

[biglongdarren]

I went yesterday to check the bees after the awful weather we had, hadn't been up for over a week. The first thing that met me out of the jeep was a swarm followed by another and then another had taken up residence in a bait box I had left lol. The ling is sitting perfect and lovely weather promised on the way. I am not for tearing apart hives to see where these bees came from, if I don't get another drop of honey I will be happy. From the 5 hives I have 9 supers capped and 4 broods as supers jammed full.

 

[biglongdarren]

Went up today and stuck a few clearing boards on, I am so proud of the girls, some of the finest frames of bell I have even had. One of the hives that swarmed early on has a new laying queen too so that has to be some sort of a record for the highest queen ever to be mated in Norther Ireland.