LimeWatch UK

[JamezF]

You're all softies I'm wearing shorts and a fleece over a t-shirt. Been out in the workshop building a solar wax extractor (really!) so dressed. Indoors I'm borderline considering taking off the fleece (and no, there's no heating on). It's possible I was a postie in a past life.

James

 

[Somerford]

I have just lit the wood burner but I am a shandy drinking soft southerner

Don’t blame you. I’ve put my shorts away and got a sweater out

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I'm a hardened exiled northerner and I'm sat with two fleeces and my woolly hat on in the lounge and seriousluy considering a dressing gown as well ... 'er indoors refuses to accept that we should have the heating on in the middle of June ... She will go to bed with a hot water bottle at about 8:00pm leaving me to shiver downstairs ....

I've switched the aircon back to heating mode

 

[Murox]

Been cold enough for my heating to come on during the day, its set to 17 degrees at this time of year, and this is the first year its done it.

 

[Dodge]

Whole road near me with Lime Trees, everyone of which has tightly closed flower buds.

 

[Dutchman]

First limeblossom open here but its far too cold to yield anything.

 

[Dodge]

Lime just starting to flower un Shirley, Solihull.

 

[thorn]

Almost there

 

[Swarm]

Just the odd open flower here.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Regular and broad-leafed lime being ignored today while in full flower. 27degC.
Fickle.
Bees enthusiastically collecting something somewhere else.

 

[Amari]

Regular and broad-leafed lime being ignored today while in full flower. 27degC.
Fickle.
Bees enthusiastically collecting something somewhere else.

Same here. Avenue of 10 limes along the lane next to my apiary in full bloom but not a bee to be seen, even looking up into the canopy - 3pm, T. 27C, no wind. Disappointing but same as I've often experienced in previous years. The trees were planted about 50 years old, ?cultivars. Scarcely a bee to be seen on nearby bramble, only a marbled white butterfly.. Desultory activity on the landing boards - the only enthusiasm being shown is around a small crack in the stack of stored supers I keep in the adjacent copse.

 

[Dekzion]

Do bees collect nectar from the blue flax crop? there's about 40 acres half a mile away.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Same here. Avenue of 10 limes along the lane next to my apiary in full bloom but not a bee to be seen, even looking up into the canopy - 3pm, T. 27C, no wind. Disappointing but same as I've often experienced in previous years. The trees were planted about 50 years old, ?cultivars. Scarcely a bee to be seen on nearby bramble, only a marbled white butterfly.. Desultory activity on the landing boards - the only enthusiasm being shown is around a small crack in the stack of stored supers I keep in the adjacent copse.

The most reliable indicator of any nectar would be local bumblebees getting busy. No sign of them either.
The last time I saw any activity was when it was 14degC and one side of the tree was just starting to flower.
Like you, the bramble in the garden is quiet also and nearly over but the hives are very busy.

 

[Dekzion]

There's no bumble bees around here! a couple of years ago whilst sitting by the flower garden on my allotment there were smallish bumbles on the Pullmanaria? (spotty green leaf plant with pink and blue flowers in the spring) But there was this fly, about the size of a blue bottle, little bit fatter, and it was hunting them! It would wait until the bumble was in the flower and it would line itself up behind them and suddenly slam onto the back of the bumble, which of course would fly off. It would sometimes fly after it as though it had missed the slam.
I haven't managed to catch one yet, but it looks all the world to me that this fly is predating on the bumbles by laying an egg on them. since that spring the bumbles have been very much in decline. I haven't seen one for days now. There was one of these flies hawking around the lambs ears today but there were no bumbles at all. there were some a few days ago but nothing like they should be.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Do bees collect nectar from the blue flax crop? there's about 40 acres half a mile away.

https://www.beesource.com/threads/b...ides a small amount,of both pollen and nectar.

 

[biglongdarren]

Lime in the Mournes still in tight bud and a little while off opening, still not the warmest here either.

 

[Brian Bush]

Same here. Avenue of 10 limes along the lane next to my apiary in full bloom but not a bee to be seen, even looking up into the canopy - 3pm, T. 27C, no wind. Disappointing but same as I've often experienced in previous years. The trees were planted about 50 years old, ?cultivars. Scarcely a bee to be seen on nearby bramble, only a marbled white butterfly.. Desultory activity on the landing boards - the only enthusiasm being shown is around a small crack in the stack of stored supers I keep in the adjacent copse.

I have 5 large limes in full flower. The bloom is the best I have seen in 20 years. I could only spot a couple of bumble
bees on all the trees tody. That was 1 more than yesterday. The honey bees are feeding on the Magnolia Grandiflora 100 yds away.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Little leaf Linden, Tilia chordata, is in full bloom.

 

[Amari]

Little leaf Linden, Tilia chordata, is in full bloom.

Are there bees on the blossom?

 

[Swarm]

Limes in flower today, coincides nicely with the deterioration in weather conditions.