major ivy flow

[jenkinsbrynmair]

One of my pollen charts has Ivy as a greyish yellow, another has it as a mid brown. They could both be wrong!

If it's the IBRA chart then it seeems to be the only consistency is that the colours are 'not quite right' shall we say
F.N. Howes has it down as a dull yellow which sounds about right

 

[pargyle]

Evening Primrose pollen is bright yellow (they're flowering in our garden), Michaelmas Daisy is an orange colour.

One of my pollen charts has Ivy as a greyish yellow, another has it as a mid brown. They could both be wrong!

Perhaps mine are not on the ivy then ? There's no smell of ivy about the hive but they are really bringing heavy loads of this orange/yellow stuff in ....

 

[Polyanwood]

Mine are bringing in ivy nectar and pollen from Michaelmas daisy and cosmos. I always think of ivy pollen as looking the same colour as the halos in the old pictures of the saints. More dull yellow than orange.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

orange/yellow stuff in ....

Sounds like ivy as described in the colour chart of the new' Colour guide to the pollen loads of the honey bee' by William Kirk (said to be bang on) he also gives two other shades which are duller and more dirty brown/yellow so I suppose it depends on where you are

 

[MuswellMetro]

Sounds likeivy as described in the colour chart of the new' Colour guide to the pollen loads of the honey bee' by William Kirk (said to be bang on) he also gives two other shades which are duller and more dirty brown/yellow so I suppose it depends on where you are

is the kirk book you refer to a new edition?, i have one about 5 years old and TBH find some of the colours a little misleading

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

is the kirk book you refer to a new edition?, i have one about 5 years old and TBH find some of the colours a little misleading

It's the second edition and i believe is pretty accurate - to be honest, in the field it seems a lot closer than all the other charts I've seen

 

[PBee]

Ivy pollen NW Irl.

 

[VEG]

lovely photo

 

[mbc]

lovely photo

Agreed,...but it would be so much nicer to my eyes if it was a native bee.

 

[Beeka]

I've noticed a lot of bright orange pollen coming into the hive so I checked a chart which said it could be asparagus. Sure enough, I had a mooch around the local fields and the asparagus still has flowers with plenty of bright orange pollen in....

 

[PBee]

Agreed,...but it would be so much nicer to my eyes if it was a native bee.

Bred in Ireland from Irish parents ....... may have blond ancestors though...

 

[blackcavebees]

Bred in Ireland from Irish parents ....... may have blond ancestors though...

It can get one of the new Irish Passports then!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Another cracking foraging day getting under way here...

 

[mbc]

Bred in Ireland from Irish parents ....... may have blond ancestors though...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this beholder cant help being biased. Sorry

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and this beholder cant help being biased. Sorry

I thought down your way beauty was all in the size of her father's bank balance.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Someone's put a Ferrari engine in my hive! Easily my strongest flow of the year.

 

[Putnamsmif]

Glad I stopped feeding a couple of weeks ago because both my queens had stopped laying due to the Apiguard. Had a quick look today as it was so warm and both started laying again, but so much ivy coming in not sure there'd have been room for them to lay if I'd carried on.

 

[Roola]

Someone's put a Ferrari engine in my hive! Easily my strongest flow of the year.

wish i could say the same... mine seem to have called it a year. Slow and steady comings and goings with pollen but nothing to write home about.

 

[richardbees]

Putnam

I used to worry about that but came to realise that 50 millions years of heritage (whatever) has meant they can work it out for themselves!

imo far more dangerous to underfeed if you've removed supers

richard

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

wish i could say the same... mine seem to have called it a year. Slow and steady comings and goings with pollen but nothing to write home about.

But you've fed them full, right, so no big deal, gve or take the price of some sugar?
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