Heather predictions this year

[Curly green finger's]

Wind your neck in a bit & stop the whinging texts and I'll lend you our loosener

Ive got my

Wind your neck in a bit & stop the whinging texts and I'll lend you our loosener

Neck fully wound in never used a loosener before sounds exiting

 

[Jimbokayak]

For those beekeepers on or near the heather, what’s your gut feel re the crop this year?

I’ve got to know my local gamekeeper recently. He reckons the last 2 years have cost him 50 years; local ‘politics’ means he can’t manage the moor as well through burning.

There have been lots of sightings of the heather beetle, see pic - from non beekeepers, saying they’ve seen loads in their gardens up on the ‘tops.’ I asked for my local gamekeepers view on the beetle “ I’ve never seen a heather beetle swarm so big as this year. I lost 60 percent last year so not looking good” then you can’t predict the damage from the beetle each year: “ some year big swarms no damage.Last year massive damage”

Whilst has been a cold windy spring, there has been a bit of rain which the heather needs, in may and June I understand but then glorious warm humid weather in august

Any other factors from your experience? Any beetle concerns and your predictions for this season?

Elaine

 

[Wilco]

Bell heather in flower (got a whiff of it when checking the bees at my parents', confirmed by my dad when walking the dog) and buds on the ling. Given the wet weather thus far this year, I'm hopeful...

 

[ericbeaumont]

Bell heather in flower

At Thursley 2 weeks ago the absence of bell was shocking; plenty of ling looking good, but usually the bell outperforms ling 90-10.

Not as if it was there and doing badly: saw hardly any plants at all. Going tomorrow to see if I was going mad and have it all wrong.

 

[Wilco]

At Thursley 2 weeks ago the absence of bell was shocking; plenty of ling looking good, but usually the bell outperforms ling 90-10.

Not as if it was there and doing badly: saw hardly any plants at all. Going tomorrow to see if I was going mad and have it all wrong.

I'd say it's under a week ago that I smelled it.

 

[Murox]

Bell heather in flower (got a whiff of it when checking the bees at my parents', confirmed by my dad when walking the dog) and buds on the ling. Given the wet weather thus far this year, I'm hopeful...

I'm hopeful too, even put some section on one hive...

 

[biglongdarren]

Bell out in the Mournes now but haven't seen a bee on it yet, too busy with the bramble, clover and lime. Patches of ling starting to flower in sun traps but the main show is still weeks away here.

 

[alancooper]

Fermanagh - colonies concentrating on massive bramble flow which is likely to be long given that the clay soils are still moist. Lime still flowering well - lots of bees on it. Clover doing well.
Bees on 16hr foraging days. Supers rapidly filling - at last.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s raining

 

[Curly green finger's]

It’s raining

It’s raining and I have ghost bees coming back to some of the hives also pollen not frantic like but my girls like the rain hb is about 200 metres away, maybe why, pollen is like a silver/grey colour

 

[ericbeaumont]

I'm hopeful too, even put some section on one hive...

I'd say it's under a week ago that I smelled it.

Roughly 3 weeks ago colonies at the Thursley heather were twiddling their thumbs; leading up to that period, the 3 drawn supers of combs on each were empty; disaster loomed.

Today I could barely lift them back on at head height: they were rammed, but though I could smell heather as it leaked out everywhere, all I could see was a pale yellow honey. Heather is usually dark...

Gave a box of Ross Rounds to each and went to look at the plants; all very odd: the bell has indeed declined, probably by 90%, and been replaced by ling. That didn't look brilliant, but bees must be bringing in some, as I can taste it in the scraps in the bucket.





Lot of HB in these parts, and though ghost bees are absent, it's the only explanation for the pale honey, as borage is not farmed here.

Over near Godalming I met dog-walkers who told me that there were several miles of HB in flower on the River Wey, which explains the frantic foraging of the colonies at Farncombe.

Next time I go to Surrey I'll track down a ranger and get an update on the heather; had to get back to London to check on the Epping borage.

 

[Wilco]

Roughly 3 weeks ago colonies at the Thursley heather were twiddling their thumbs; leading up to that period, the 3 drawn supers of combs on each were empty; disaster loomed.

Today I could barely lift them back on at head height: they were rammed, but though I could smell heather as it leaked out everywhere, all I could see was a pale yellow honey. Heather is usually dark...

Gave a box of Ross Rounds to each and went to look at the plants; all very odd: the bell has indeed declined, probably by 90%, and been replaced by ling. That didn't look brilliant, but bees must be bringing in some, as I can taste it in the scraps in the bucket.

View attachment 40726
View attachment 40727
View attachment 40728

Lot of HB in these parts, and though ghost bees are absent, it's the only explanation for the pale honey, as borage is not farmed here.

Over near Godalming I met dog-walkers who told me that there were several miles of HB in flower on the River Wey, which explains the frantic foraging of the colonies at Farncombe.

Next time I go to Surrey I'll track down a ranger and get an update on the heather; had to get back to London to check on the Epping borage.

Heather management down south seems to be truly abysmal compared to in the Dales. Will be interested to know what you find out

 

[Amari]

Three days ago I did a drive-by through Westleton and Dunwich Heaths (Suffolk Coast and Heaths ANOB) with a view to taking a hive - as I have done many times over the years. The ling and bell were in poor shape 2021-3 which I attributed to the summer droughts - the soils are sandy and free-draining, so I didn't take a hive. I had high hopes this year after a wet June but no, there is little bell and the ling looks dead.
Our local SBI has hives there and tells me that the ling has succumbed to a disease - does anyone know more about this?

 

[Wilco]

Three days ago I did a drive-by through Westleton and Dunwich Heaths (Suffolk Coast and Heaths ANOB) with a view to taking a hive - as I have done many times over the years. The ling and bell were in poor shape 2021-3 which I attributed to the summer droughts - the soils are sandy and free-draining, so I didn't take a hive. I had high hopes this year after a wet June but no, there is little bell and the ling looks dead.
Our local SBI has hives there and tells me that the ling has succumbed to a disease - does anyone know more about this?

Heather beetle? Or a fungus if really wet?

 

[Murox]

Not much heather management where I am but various creatures do some work and regrowth after forestry helps. Looking to Tuesday to check and see what's happening. All day rain yesterday, some brightness today but highs of 18 degrees forecast for the week ahead.

 

[Antipodes]

Roughly 3 weeks ago colonies at the Thursley heather were twiddling their thumbs; leading up to that period, the 3 drawn supers of combs on each were empty; disaster loomed.

Today I could barely lift them back on at head height: they were rammed, but though I could smell heather as it leaked out everywhere, all I could see was a pale yellow honey. Heather is usually dark...

Gave a box of Ross Rounds to each and went to look at the plants; all very odd: the bell has indeed declined, probably by 90%, and been replaced by ling. That didn't look brilliant, but bees must be bringing in some, as I can taste it in the scraps in the bucket.

View attachment 40726
View attachment 40727
View attachment 40728

Lot of HB in these parts, and though ghost bees are absent, it's the only explanation for the pale honey, as borage is not farmed here.

Over near Godalming I met dog-walkers who told me that there were several miles of HB in flower on the River Wey, which explains the frantic foraging of the colonies at Farncombe.

Next time I go to Surrey I'll track down a ranger and get an update on the heather; had to get back to London to check on the Epping borage.

Does your heather have spiky leaves?
Here is our native equivalent in flower now and called the common heath...it's only sparse, so no honey from it. Very spiky little thing!

 

[ericbeaumont]

Very spiky

Not seen that sort, nor the cross-leaved heath, the third UK species.

 

[Midget Gem]

Is this bell or ling heather?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Is this bell or ling heather?

Post 71.

 

[biglongdarren]

First hives till the mountains this evening bell well out and ling starting in places, Hives right in the middle of it all two miles from any public main roads and green grass fields. Its as pure as it gets around here.