Ling now showing colour....

[Poly Hive]

Just a heads up that Murray Tweeted that it is looking like a VERY EARLY Ling season. If you are planning on moving, get moving or miss it

When I worked for Heather I was on the moors for the 3d week in July and the bees did very well on the flowers amongst the heather until the Ling started up.

One year (said this times so sorry to repeat but it drives the point) I had a ton in the honey house and the people who stuck to the August 12th nonsense had nothing.

PH

 

[elainemary]

Just a heads up that Murray Tweeted that it is looking like a VERY EARLY Ling season. If you are planning on moving, get moving or miss it

When I worked for Heather I was on the moors for the 3d week in July and the bees did very well on the flowers amongst the heather until the Ling started up.

One year (said this times so sorry to repeat but it drives the point) I had a ton in the honey house and the people who stuck to the August 12th nonsense had nothing.

PH

Thanks for update. Went onto the moor about a week ago and thought it might start early this year. Has started 14/15 Aug here last 3 years (south Pennines). Still got some uniting to do but should be sorted by end of next week, that’s my plan. My bees fly from home (moor just a field away) but I’m taking a couple so directly on the moor even higher up, with little else to distract them. Will keep a close eye when to take them, weather turning cooler, odd showers after heatwave so maybe that will slow things….?
Here’s some pics from last week just one plant with flower buds showing some colour
How much food / stores do you leave on yours in case of weather changes when you take or took them? Do you give them extra pollen too?

 

[Poly Hive]

Pollen? No need the moors are full of it. I put mini nucs and three good colonies for the drones up to the moors one year in late June. On my return from offshore the two supers I had given the drone colonies were all full to the brim. There is more on the moors than you might think, so take a wee walk through the actual heather and look through the stems. There is another bio down there with lots of flowers.

PH