June gap

[Roola]

ah ok, how wold we know if they are on lime? Does give pollen too and what colour is it? Going to pop in on mine this evening and see how far they've got with drawing out my first super.

 

[DulwichGnome]

"The tree produces fragrant and nectar-producing flowers, the medicinal herb lime blossom. They are very important honey plants for beekeepers, producing a very pale but richly flavoured monofloral honey."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia

 

[MandF]

If there are lime trees local to you, they will be on them as soon as they come into flow!

I have not been lucky enough to get a predominantly lime honey crop yet.

 

[DulwichGnome]

I have not been lucky enough to get a predominantly lime honey crop yet.

I am told they don't produce a good harvest every year, I have had some a couple of years ago and sold all of it in a weekend.

Mike.

 

[djg]

If there are lime trees local to you, they will be on them as soon as they come into flow!

I have not been lucky enough to get a predominantly lime honey crop yet.

I agree, MandF. I have been fortunate with lime in the last couple of years in London.

I'm hoping that the flow will be late this year, as you have suggested, to give the bees a chance to get up to strength to take full advantage.

I note that london_flower_guy reported some lime flow in town a few days ago...., so I hope that those observations are exceptions.

May your weather forecasting predictions be spot-on for next week!

 

[MandF]

As Mike said, they dont always produce and I had heard that the last 2 years werent particularly good.

As for my weather forecast, it is due to be much the same as today for us here in London next week. Sunny spells, rainy spells and windy - the jetstream is running right up the channel (madam).

The week after next it looks like we will be getting our summer, and that could tie in perfect with the lime!

 

[djg]

As Mike said, they dont always produce and I had heard that the last 2 years werent particularly good.

As for my weather forecast, it is due to be much the same as today for us here in London next week. Sunny spells, rainy spells and windy - the jetstream is running right up the channel (madam).

The week after next it looks like we will be getting our summer, and that could tie in perfect with the lime!

I got lucky with my local lime in 2011 - good enough to win the LBKA prize for "Best Honey Inside The M25" - clear, single jar" at the Nationals.

It woz the lime wot won it ! Fingers crossed for a spell of summer....

 

[poshpikey]

oil seed rape just ending but white clover out already. no june gap here in Dorset.

 

[Haughton Honey]

oil seed rape just ending but white clover out already. no june gap here in Dorset.

Same here, and white clover provides our main flow around these parts.

 

[Roola]

Hope weather improves soon, don't know how your bees have been the ;ast few days but mine have been really grumpy... popped down to see them this afternoon, stood by the hive and got stung on the leg, unusual for this lot who normally are fairly relaxed.

 

[MandF]

Same here - but not sure if that is the weather or the grumpy nuc down there at the moment.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bramble on its way here

 

[Skyhook]

I think the June gap has healed over rather than being pushed back. Elder not out yet but bramble open already, white clover in decent quantities. The lime is coming into flower already, which is a shame nas I was hoping to have my various AS's re-combined in order to move some hives. I had lime honey in my first year andman, it was nice; but the weather hasn't been right since.

PS this in East Dorset
.

 

[psafloyd]

Bramble on its way here

Hope it starts soon, as my boxes have got quite light. But then I have had some problems with very swarmy bees.

 

[Pete D]

OSR mostly finishing here but a lot of beans planted locally this year and they range from 6 inch tall to just coming into flower.
Taking OSR off today, not as much as I hoped but at least got some.

 

[Cazza]

Taking OSR off today, not as much as I hoped but at least got some.

Taking mine off too. Hopefully twice as much as last year! God help the kitchen.
Cazza

 

[Beeline]

There are large fields of clover on a farm we moved our bees to for the OSR but is it always sown in with grass for haylage? or do some farmers plant fields of only clover?
I'm just not sure whether to keep my bees on this farm in the hope this clover crop materialises in the next few weeks or whether it will be smothered by the grass.

 

[Erichalfbee]

God help the kitchen.
Cazza

If I'm ever that lucky I just wont feed husband
He can go to the pub

 

[lebouche]

There are large fields of clover on a farm we moved our bees to for the OSR but is it always sown in with grass for haylage? or do some farmers plant fields of only clover?
I'm just not sure whether to keep my bees on this farm in the hope this clover crop materialises in the next few weeks or whether it will be smothered by the grass.

We were advised to plant clover grass for our new fields (four acres) for the horses.
Apparently clover helps aeriate the grass roots...but it seems to be all clover and hardly any grass. The horses eat mostly the grass so we have four acres of clover flowers right now.
I imagine if anything like ours the clover will smother the grass rather than the other way round.

 

[aberreef]

Hawthorn is only just getting going close to my hive which are quite high up so don't think I'll get a June gap this year. There's been an almost total spring gap though