London main flow

[Joseph]

In a normal year the main flow in London starts winding down around about now. Small leaf lime and perhaps Privet hedge, are some of what we get. I hope these are flowering late too, so that we get something to extract this year...

 

[Walrus]

I'm live in South Manchester and went for a walk in the Mersey Valley today and saw a huge amount of forage. Himalayan Balsam, Rosebay Willowherb, Blackberry, Clover, Goldenrod (I think). My bees are at an out apiary on a farm, but any bees near where I live have a LOT to go at.

Unfortunately I don't think my bees are near any HB but they seem to be busy bringing something in.

 

[meidel]

privet hedge in London tends to be trimmed to the extent that not much of it flowers unfortunately ... except in those unkempt gardens where the householders don't much care for gardening!

I see a lot of those plants iveseenthings posted as well as geraniums and don't forget the sunflowers - last year our bees really went for these. In the London suburbs there are a lot of other flowers people tend in their gardens and allotments.

I'm hoping the bees keep going into August!

 

[Tom Bick]

Limes yes but not sure about Privet I have a friend that has a large un-kept Privet hedge as he has never cut it in years and it was covered in flowers this year and I noticed no bees on it. Don’t know where it came from but I thought it was not good for bees? But I may be wrong.

A friend put a hive on to a double brood a few weeks ago placed the BB over the original one I looked at the hive on Saturday and the new BB fully capped honey. Something had happened to the original queen as I spotted a young virgin in the hive so the bees just decided to fill the BB with honey.

My bees are still collecting plenty of nectar and with the improvement in the weather that will perhaps step up and finish off the last supers on the hives. I will have all my supers off during the 2nd week of August and any extra will be for them, no problem with blocking the BB as they are all on double broods and even then I can remove full frames.

For me the last 8 weeks have made up and exceeded expectations despite the bad spring.

 

[susbees]

So is privet honey unpalatable (bitter etc) as the books say....?

 

[alanf]

Limes yes but not sure about Privet I have a friend that has a large un-kept Privet hedge as he has never cut it in years and it was covered in flowers this year and I noticed no bees on it.

Plenty of honey bees and bumbles on the privet round my way, or the parts that have not been cut back anyway.

Being long cultivated, there are several species and varieties involved. It could be that some are far more promising than others as nectar sources. There are reports of the honey being bitter, but it's not as if there are fields of it and there's not a lot you could do to prevent it appearing in the suburban mix. Again, the smell or taste might vary by species.

 

[Haughton Honey]

So is privet honey unpalatable (bitter etc) as the books say....?

It's not particularly nice.

Like the smell of the flower itself, you either love it or you hate it.

 

[REDWOOD]

So is privet honey unpalatable (bitter etc) as the books say....?

Not sure on this one but I was talking to a guy who showed his honey in the royal welsh last year who had award winning honey and asked him what his secret was and his reply was keep your bees away from privet. That is not to say the honey won't taste nice but won't win you awards

 

[busybee53]

This part of London has lots of rose bay willow herb, budlia and lavateria in bloom and the honey bees are loving it. They love the uncut privet too. I'm hoping my bees will at last make themselves some honey for the winter.

 

[Joseph]

Limes yes but not sure about Privet I have a friend that has a large un-kept Privet hedge as he has never cut it in years and it was covered in flowers this year and I noticed no bees on it. Don’t know where it came from but I thought it was not good for bees? But I may be wrong.

I have seen bees on Privet this year, I was not aware of the fact that the honey is not very nice. But I guess the customers don't complain when there is some privet in a polyfloral honey.

 

[beebopalula]

This part of London has lots of rose bay willow herb, budlia and lavateria in bloom and the honey bees are loving it. They love the uncut privet too. I'm hoping my bees will at last make themselves some honey for the winter.

What does lavateria smell like? - Don't think I would like the honey.

 

[meidel]

What does lavateria smell like? - Don't think I would like the honey.

 

[MuswellMetro]

In a normal year the main flow in London starts winding down around about now. Small leaf lime and perhaps Privet hedge, are some of what we get. I hope these are flowering late too, so that we get something to extract this year...

The lime around me in North London are almost finished and so are the brambles with not a lot else coming in at all

some years there is a bit of Himalayan balsam in August along tributaries of the River Brent but at our of the R.Brent this year not lot of HB is growing

 

[justme]

Ive heard that privet, even a little bit, makes all the honey bitter. However, I've heard time and again, that ivy honey is disgusting, but our family and I've since learnt, that many people, once they've tried it, dont think its disgusting. We like it very much.

 

[Tom Bick]

I had a day working on the boat today and the glass from the solar panels and the roof of the boat was hot to say the least so every half hour I took shelter and the shade from a welcome tree and between me and the boat plenty of clover. I am moored in one of those park areas that are not cut so more like a meadow and there is a huge area of clover and other plants in the area most of the clover has gone over but plenty of new flowers coming through, the bees were all over it and it was great to sit and watch.

To far from my hives so if you have bees between Hays and Greenford your girls were loving the clover and working hard. I watched a few bees set of back to their hive so have a reasonable good guess on direction.

I have seen plenty of clover this year and big flowers to but dont know what clover honey tastes like and if anyone can enlighten me that will be great.

 

[Walrus]

According to my "honey handbook" by Kim Flottum clover honey is by far the most common honey produced in most of the world. It is generally light and mild flavoured.

 

[MandF]

I noticed less bees on the privet around my house this season than last, quite possibly because the weather has meant that more attractive forage was out there for them at the same time.

Anyhow, I think a little bit just adds to the complex polyfloral honey us urban beekeepers are blessed with

 

[susbees]

I noticed less bees on the privet around my house this season than last, quite possibly because the weather has meant that more attractive forage was out there for them at the same time.

Anyhow, I think a little bit just adds to the complex polyfloral honey us urban beekeepers are blessed with

Hmm...do I detect underinformed bias ?

Meanwhile, in rural border country we have nectar tanking in from bramble, clover, borage, comfrey, rosebay willow herb, assorted thistles and wild flowers and garden flowers from two hamlets.

One hive last evening had eight different pollens and three shades of propolis going in over a five minute period.

Just to balance the article...

 

[MandF]

Ah, but no privet I see

 

[busybee53]

Laveteria does not smell but it looks nice and the honey bees in my garden love it. I have no idea what the honey would taste like because it will be mixed in with everything else. Also I doubt there will be enough for me this year as I only just managed to get the bees through the wet spring.