How do you know what the bees are foraging

[Wingy]

As per the title really. I read on here people reporting their bees are bringing in - cherry, ivy, chestnut etc. Question is how can you tell? I'm not bothered what pollen is coming in really, that's for the brood. But I've just put my first super on and the bees are working hard. I'm surrounded by a mass variety of nectar sources but have OSR about 1/2 mile away. What I don't want is the super filling with OSR that sets like concrete.

 

[maddydog]

What's in flower at the time, colour of pollen the bees are collecting, and any 'markings' left on the bees during foraging are some of the classic clues.
If you've got osr nearby, it's flowering and the weather is reasonable, chances are that's what they'll be on

 

[madasafish]

Lots of willows. Yellow pollen and willow nectar. No arable crops of any type So all trees at present. No hawthorn yet.

 

[Hivemaker.]

What I don't want is the super filling with OSR that sets like concrete.

Best to move your bees to an area well away from OSR.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Best to move your bees to an area well away from OSR.

That might involve moving house

 

[drex]

As per the title really. I read on here people reporting their bees are bringing in - cherry, ivy, chestnut etc. Question is how can you tell? I'm not bothered what pollen is coming in really, that's for the brood. But I've just put my first super on and the bees are working hard. I'm surrounded by a mass variety of nectar sources but have OSR about 1/2 mile away. What I don't want is the super filling with OSR that sets like concrete.

Every year I am surrounded by OSR. My customers love it. No more difficult to manage, really, than any other crop, but you must get your timing right

 

[Bakerbee]

Drex can you expand on getting your timing right please. Cheers

 

[enrico]

Taking off the honey at the first opportunity is getting the timing right, leave it in and it will set. Needs to be extracted before it does set!
E

 

[Wingy]

Thanks for the replies, I'm starting to pick up a few. For example I identified the early willow bright yellow pollen & bees dusted with yellow, last autumn the HB and ghost bees was easy to spot.
Drex thanks for your reassurance but for now I'd love to ban my bees from playing in the OSR lol until I get a bit more familiar and comfortable dealing with it. Was hoping for a nice mixed and easily extracted honey for my first season

 

[Beefriendly]

Wingy if OSR is within flight distance your bees will forage on it. Timing of removal of supers needs to watched...we are talking a several day window here, not hours and the ambient temperature plays a part as well. Watch out for a cold spell towards the end of the flow, particularly if using wooden hives. Be cautious if you follow the old "rule" of remove supers after the OSR has stopped flowering.....

You are looking for super frames that are full but not fully capped yet....and fully capped as well. In the field do a shake test on the not fully capped ones, turn frame upside down and see if you can shake the honey out. If you can't see any droplets (there may be a little bit as fresh nectar will be incoming) then great take home. Check water content with a refractometer and if legal extract. In my pastures it's usually about 18% water uncapped and about 17% if fully capped.
Put into buckets, allow to set and then process later at your leisure as a soft set honey. A whole new topic but quite easy to do...lots of previous forum threads (and debate) about the best way to make soft set honey.
If anyone knows a trick to keeping OSR honey in a liquid state for a few months after remelting from the bucket I'd be very pleased to hear about it.

 

[Swarm]

OSR in flower in the Vale today, sunny, windy, temps barely ten degrees. Dandelions galore and not seen a single Honey Bee on them.
At the apiary there are five types coming in, Willow, Gorse, Dandelion and two not identified. These two are creamy white and pale green.

 

[Poly Hive]

OP?

Invest in a refractometer so you can tell the moisture content of the honey and know when you can extract it. That way you know it is safe to take off and will give you confidence as as said they will work OSR regardless of your thoughts.

You will never be their master but aye their servant.

PH

 

[HoopersHouse]

Thanks for the replies, I'm starting to pick up a few. For example I identified the early willow bright yellow pollen & bees dusted with yellow, last autumn the HB and ghost bees was easy to spot.
Drex thanks for your reassurance but for now I'd love to ban my bees from playing in the OSR lol until I get a bit more familiar and comfortable dealing with it. Was hoping for a nice mixed and easily extracted honey for my first season

Like you, we're surrounded by OSR. We harvested last year for the first time & managed it ok. The honey took a month or so in the jars to set hard. So following some instructions for soft set honey, I made a few jars. As I haven't got a warming cabinet, it got warmed on an aga & then put into a camping fridge with cool packs. Wasn't difficult but think a warming cabinet would be easier.

This years plan, if we're lucky enough to get some honey, is to put it straight into a bucket & let it set. Buy a warming cabinet & make soft set honey

After you've harvested your OSR honey, you may get another crop of lovely summer runny honey.

What ever you get, it'll be delicious because it yours!!

 

[drex]

Every year I am surrounded by OSR. My customers love it. No more difficult to manage, really, than any other crop, but you must get your timing right

I cannot improve on what others have said. No need to buy a warming cabinet. Slip a fiver to blokes at recycling centre and they will probably let you take away an old fridge - might even forgo the fiver. 60 W heating tube and STC 1000 stat off eBay and you are away - fitting a fan is optional - I did. Mine holds two 30 lbs buckets, which is ample.
If OSR is within economic range of their fuel costs ( honey) THEY WILL HARVEST IT.
Do not wait for it all to be capped. I shake test at apiary and use refractometer at home. If it does set you can always use to feed nucs etc you make up- I give a light water spray to get them going on it. They will soon clear it out,

 

[Curly green fingers]

Lots of willows. Yellow pollen and willow nectar. No arable crops of any type So all trees at present. No hawthorn yet.

About the same for me Willow, gorse , blackthorn , lots of dandelions although haven't seen them foraging dandelions.. Wild damson , cherry,
There's osr 3 miles away that's by car, as far as the crow fly's or bee closer so I'm wondering. I didn't no willow produced nectar much?
No Hawthorne yet.

 

[madasafish]

About the same for me Willow, gorse , blackthorn , lots of dandelions although haven't seen them foraging dandelions.. Wild damson , cherry,
There's osr 3 miles away that's by car, as far as the crow fly's or bee closer so I'm wondering. I didn't no willow produced nectar much?
No Hawthorne yet.

Willow produces nectar with lots of sun. We had - emphasis on past tense- 4 days of sunny weather...

 

[Curly green fingers]

Willow produces nectar with lots of sun. We had - emphasis on past tense- 4 days of sunny weather...

I know what you mean when is the good weather coming back doesn't look good next week.. All the fruit trees are starting to come into bloom.
Cheers madasafish .

 

[Wingy]

I've seen my bees on the dandelion and blackthorn around the allotment but not masses of bees. The closest OSR I've seen so far is approx 1/2 mile as the crow (or bee) flies so is it fair to say they will pass everything else to get to it?
There is laurel, horse chestnut, multiple fruit trees, etc right on their door step.
Cheers Wingy

BTW does it make a difference that they are starting from scratch with all new frames and foundation? Obviously they will need to draw it out before filling it.

Cheers Wingy

 

[madasafish]

I have not cut the grass verge on the roadside and have a lovely crop of dandelions. Bees ignore them as there are much better deals elsewhere.

But as the weather for the last 2 weeks has been lousy (today's range 4 to 8C) and it's raining it's all a bit irrelevant.. I'm going to check stores (Monday I think) as I am worrying about possible starvation of lighter hives .

 

[Curly green fingers]

I have not cut the grass verge on the roadside and have a lovely crop of dandelions. Bees ignore them as there are much better deals elsewhere.

But as the weather for the last 2 weeks has been lousy (today's range 4 to 8C) and it's raining it's all a bit irrelevant.. I'm going to check stores (Monday I think) as I am worrying about possible starvation of lighter hives .

I am worrying about possible starvation of lighter hives .

How heavy is light would you feed them syrup? Also for comb building if the weathers bad ie bee's not being able to forage much .