Mistletoe

[Quevy]

Talking about Viscum Album, the European one.

Around the hive, there are many abandoned orchards full of mistletoe. Seems to flower around March.

Does mistletoehoney exist and is this plant a good nectar provider for bees ?

(seems there is honey-mistletoe brandy in hungary but bit far to go)

 

[enrico]

I posted some pictures in spring of my bees on my mistletoe. Only there when there was very little around. The main benefit I found is that the wasps like the berries in autumn in preference to robbing my hives out. I doubt it would ever give a crop unless it was the sole nectar source.
E

 

[Quevy]

I posted some pictures in spring of my bees on my mistletoe. Only there when there was very little around. The main benefit I found is that the wasps like the berries in autumn in preference to robbing my hives out. I doubt it would ever give a crop unless it was the sole nectar source.
E

Thanks
Do you have a link to these pics ?

 

[enrico]

Thanks
Do you have a link to these pics ?

https://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=38837

That is the post. There are still a couple of photos on there I think. Not very good but....

 

[Quevy]

Nice tree full of mistletoe.
Thanks for pics

Found online that mistletoe=pollen is light yellow and that bees seem to love the mistletoe.
Not much flowering abundantly in feb/march I guess

https://mistletoematters.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/bees-bugs-and-weevils/
nice pics btw

 

[enrico]

Made more money selling the mistletoe. Some guy gave me cash for a van load!
E

 

[Curly green fingers]

Made more money selling the mistletoe. Some guy gave me cash for a van load!
E

Mistletoe is worth about 25 to 50 pound in a stock feed bag cut open and tide together at the tenbury mistletoe sales this time of year so if yr guy had a van load I hope he gave you a good wedge of cash . cheers mark

 

[enrico]

I reckon he had a good Christmas out of us then. He got about 8 bags for the price of one. Still, was a bit of cash for us and we didn't actually do anything to grow it and there is just As much left! Hardly looks as though he took any!

 

[Quevy]

I reckon he had a good Christmas out of us then. He got about 8 bags for the price of one. Still, was a bit of cash for us and we didn't actually do anything to grow it and there is just As much left! Hardly looks as though he took any!

Problem is they only take the female plants and leave the male ones without berries.

 

[enrico]

Just resurrecting an old thread. Bees all over the mistletoe flowers today. Really early source of nectar it would seem!
E

 

[Millet]

Just resurrecting an old thread. Bees all over the mistletoe flowers today. Really early source of nectar it would seem!
E

Not here Enrico, it was Baltic 2c most of the day with dusty snow falling from the sky, it is now -2 with a wind chill much higher/lower..

 

[Quevy]

Same cold here.

And I dont hear the bees.
Very worried

Hope they are OK

 

[Quevy]

Too cold

For the ladies

 

[drex]

Worry will get you nowhere. If it is that cold they will be tightly clustered and silent. When it warms up I am sure they will appear again. Nothing you can do about it anyway, at present. The last thing you want to do is disturb a tight cluster

 

[Curly green fingers]

Just resurrecting an old thread. Bees all over the mistletoe flowers today. Really early source of nectar it would seem!
E

Hi Enrico, I just wanted to say that some of my friends are planting mistletoe in the near future, So I plan to go and help hopefully learn a bit about it as its a very interesting plant. I don't really no that much about it do you?

 

[Quevy]

Worry will get you nowhere. If it is that cold they will be tightly clustered and silent. When it warms up I am sure they will appear again. Nothing you can do about it anyway, at present. The last thing you want to do is disturb a tight cluster

Thanks Drex

Today I measured temp with laser between cracks of the hive.
Temperature is definitively higher so something hot is in the hive.
YES !

 

[Quevy]

Hi Enrico, I just wanted to say that some of my friends are planting mistletoe in the near future, So I plan to go and help hopefully learn a bit about it as its a very interesting plant. I don't really no that much about it do you?

Hi Curly
I have tried several times to seed mistletoe on trees.
Its very tricky but possible.
You could also buy trees grafted with mistletoe. There are some nurseries specialised in this.
I have at the moment germinated seeds ready to seed on trees. Will start it after the cold.

A procedure how to can be found here. Its dutch but pics are rather selfexplaining

There is btw a drink with mistletoe and honey infusion in Hungary.
http://www.aura.hr/en/medimela/


You can PM me if you need more info

 

[Curly green fingers]

Thank you. I had a fare idea thats how you did it. I've seen my grandad doing it from the bottom of a ladder. But I didn't pay much attention to him doing it .

In some ways I suppose its like grafting except your using a seed instead of a bud..
Cheer's mark .

 

[enrico]

Hi Enrico, I just wanted to say that some of my friends are planting mistletoe in the near future, So I plan to go and help hopefully learn a bit about it as its a very interesting plant. I don't really no that much about it do you?

I know you can't plant it! It grows on other trees and needs to pass through a birds body first. Would be interested to know how they intend to start it off.
E

 

[Hivemaker.]

I know you can't plant it! It grows on other trees and needs to pass through a birds body first. Would be interested to know how they intend to start it off.
E

How to grow your own mistletoe

Although mistletoe is spread naturally by birds, it is possible to grow it yourself;
Harvest berries from a tree in March or April. Make sure you choose a tree that is similar to the type of tree in your own garden that you wish to establish the mistletoe on.
Discard any crushed berries and do not use berries from sprigs used as Christmas decorations. These will not germinate as they are generally harvested when immature.
Choose a branch 10cm (4in) or more in girth on a tree that is 15-years-old or more. Ideally this should be fairly high up, so the developing plant receives plenty of light.
Make a shallow cut to create a flap in the bark.
Remove the seeds from the fleshy berries and insert them under the bark flap.
Finish by covering the flap with hessian to protect the seeds from birds.
To ensure greater success, sow quite a few seeds under each flap of bark as only one in ten seeds germinate, and both male and female plants are needed for berries to form.
The branch will swell as the mistletoe develops, but don’t expect quick results; plants can take five years or more to reach berrying size.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=134