IvyWatch UK and Ireland

[BrianO]

Yesterday, looked at a patch with half the buds open.

Great to see the pollination frenzy , bees laden with pollen, wasps , fly's .

All visibly successfully foraging. What a fantastic plant for us Beek's at this time of year.

Since I took up this great pastime I hold it ( Ivy ) in even greater regard, always valued it for the Cover and Berries it provides , but boy does it pack a punch for our pollinators at this normally fallow time of year !

 

[nantmoel]

Took this picture this morning in Padstow, it was alive with Ivy Bee's.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Now unquestionably full-on and huge ivy flow. I let my main colonies take it on double brood but with hindsight I regret that: should have out a QE in at least one: would like to get some of this honey just for curiosity. Oh well, maybe next year. No need to even think about winter stores and last inspections are past for a number of my colonies now.

 

[Spikedog]

Still tightly closed here - little like "the watched kettle never boils" .... Bees need it and I fear weather may change (ground frost forecast) before it finally flowers. Looks like we may have to feed again...

 

[BrianO]

Open here, still some in Bud but good bit in flower too, bees going in and out of hives yesterday in huge numbers, as manic as any time seen during summer !

Week of good weather ahead, think it's gonna bee a cracking Ivy season !!

 

[bpmurray]

There's loads of it around - I've never seen so much. Some is in bloom and some still not opened so hopefully the harvest will last a few weeks. The bees are going nuts - it's as busy as mid-summer. Actually, busier, since June this year was dreadful.

 

[Plenty of honey]

North Brittany

In full bloom here in North Brittany, but we've gone cooler. Max temps only 14 to 15 Degrees C, may be lower all this week. Hives stinking of the stuff and moist bottom boards as they dry it of an evening and overnight.
Total on scales so far is 7.5 kilos, so not bad, but that may be all. Were glad we fed too, so overall a good end to the year. Tons of pollen reserves this year, but not so much nectar.
I was looking at the temperatures for this time last year, and we had it in the 20's for over a week. This year its only made the high teens.
Still happy with what we've had so far!! bees seem strong to.

 

[pargyle]

Well ... AT LAST ... a few of the bottom buds on each cluster are just starting to open today - nearly four weeks later than last year. It's very cold by comparison to the last few days and the bees are not up and about - I don't think they are used to cold mornings yet - takes a few days for them to acclimatise and then they will be flying from dawn as usual.

The high pressure looks set for the next week but we are getting Northerly winds so it's going to be cold, breezy but dry for the most part. I'm rather hoping that they will find the ivy but I think they need a bit of sun to get them going. Still a bit of Indian summer left with a bit of luck.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bewick's swans are at Slimbridge nearly a month earlier than last year heralding a long cold winter
Ivy just started here in mid Wales

 

[Matt77]

Ivy been open for a week or 2 here. All my hives have put several kg on, bees were still bringing pollen in at 6ish last night. First year so now hoping I've not overfed!

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Still not open in East Yorkshire

 

[Delgirl]

Still not open in East Yorkshire

Nada in Haslingden. Have taken to pulling off buds and splitting them open to see if near flowering. Masses and masses of ivy in my garden tormenting me. I think they have gone back to sleep.

 

[nantmoel]

At last! Here is a picture I have taken this morning with one of my Buckfast bees working the Ivy, outside temperature is 10 degrees.

 

[Delgirl]

At last! Here is a picture I have taken this morning with one of my Buckfast bees working the Ivy, outside temperature is 10 degrees.

Jealous......

 

[Erichalfbee]

Jealous......
Me too. Ivy is out but it is dull and cold.
No Buckie to be seen, black bees out half heartedly.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

they were bringing in ivy at both apiaries earlier this week although the ivy at Brynmair is still tightly closed

 

[pargyle]

they were bringing in ivy at both apiaries earlier this week although the ivy at Brynmair is still tightly closed

Yes mine were earlier this week but today has been a bit on the cold side and hardly a bee to be seen .. the Ivy seems to have stalled - still only about a quarter of each floret is open ... think I'm going to be buying some more sugar. All hives set up for feeding and I've got a few gallons of 2:1 ready so might put some in the feeders tonight and see what they make of it .. two hives are quite heavy, two rather light and one middling. The compost bin Nuc has been guzzling syrup at the rate of a litre a day for about ten days now - Lord knows where they are putting it !

 

[Tim.S]

The girls have been busy on the Ivy round these parts lately if the state of my wife's car and my van is anything to go by!

 

[kazmcc]

First buds have flowered here, but only on one ivy I have seen so far. Full of wasps. I'm hoping to be the most northerly verified record of Colletes hederae - Ivy bee, as they have been recorded as far north as North Wales, on the coast I think, so am keeping an eager eye out It seems it has been in bud forever! Stood and watched for a few minutes and didn't see a single honey bee, but this was only a small plant, down a back alley, and looked to have only just flowered so I'm sure they will find it. Waiting on the other sites to follow suit.

 

[pargyle]

At last the Ivy in my garden is in full bloom - was a little warmer here today and my girls had found it ... lovely to see - only about 25 yards from the hives so I watched a steady procession of bees going back and forth - not wasting a single flap of their wings. Breezy conditions were giving a few bees some interesting times...