No bees in my area

[Stefan]

I have bought some acres in the middle of nowhere a while back and have had fruit trees (apples mostly) but I am getting no fruits.
I have never seen a bee and it is a well known fact that bees in our area are scarce. Farmers are not growing anything to attract bees and fields are overcrowded with sheep. We also have very few trees.

Unfortunately I am allergic to insect bites and bee stings are high on the list of things I must avoid. I suppose getting into beekeeping is not an option for me, as I have been told by several people that, no matter what, you will get stung if you keep bees.

To all you experienced and knowledged people out there, is there some way I can increase the local bee population without having to look after a beehive ?

I'd be most interested in any ideas you have to offer to a totally unknowledged person.

I have planted willows, fruit trees and flowers to attract bees.

Thank you.

 

[hedgerow pete]

yes several ideas spring to mind.

if all you have in your area is sheep then i would suggest planting red or white clover as well as the trees as they flower for a longer period than the trees will, and try a few bushes in the hedge banks that will also flower longer, cottonester springs to mind and you southeners should have plenty of gorse about any way.

next would be some where for a swarm to move into if there is one going your way.

ok so a hive would be great but not to helpfull to your problems with stings, but why not now you have this bee friendly area try one of the local clubs or ask on the forum for any beeks your way, someone would dearly love to have there bees on your site or nearby. even if it is just as part of a migrational route

 

[Easy Beesy]

Hi stefan
My recollection of Thurso is it's a bit bleak but a wonderful colour of purple due to the heather and rosebay wilowherb. There are gorse and bilberry plants and lots of small wildflower plants all around. The towns too must have gardens. There are bees in Orkney so they can handle the climate. The Bumble Bee Conservation Trust might be helpful s they are based in Stirling - a long way away, I know, but they monitor bee populations in scotland. Try to plant native wildflowers, Wiggley Wigglers have a great choice, as they will probably survive better. Try googling for your local association, they will help you all they can.

 

[BobH1]

Hi stefan
The Bumble Bee Conservation Trust might be helpful

I was going to say, if you can't keep honeybees, try to encourage some of the others, solitary bees, bumble bees, etc.

 

[Arfermo]

Stefan,

If you have any grocers shop reasonably near, have a look at their shelves for locally produced honey and you should find the name, address and telephone number of the beekeeper who supplied it to the shop. I suggest you phone him/her and if they can't help they may know a man or woman who can.

 

[Hombre]

yes several ideas spring to mind.

. . . Cottonester springs to mind and you southeners should have plenty of gorse about any way.

next would be some where for a swarm to move into if there is one going your way.

One of the local clubs or ask on the forum for any beeks your way, someone would dearly love to have there bees on your site or nearby. even if it is just as part of a migrational route/QUOTE]

Apparently not the exact location of Thurso Pete?
I don't suppose that there are a lot of swarms going Stefan's way . . . or much in the way of local clubs either.

Not like Wales, where sheep are considered recreational.

 

[hedgerow pete]

the thurso and southener bit was a joke,

when we did the great scotland weston tour a few years ago we went through many areas and there seamed at times in places well stocked with gorse,
cotton ester is a great bee shrub and does no harm being lost in a hedgerow,

as far as i know you can ask if anyone wants to use the land or tell people of the land here on this forum, the hfw river cottage website does something with finding people and land but i cant recall what it is called.

if due to health/ stinging issues i would suggest that rather than having a full time bee population or suggesting we build hives that are left alone all year, that the land is made use of by someone who needs a section of area for bees for a short time, ie a passing beekeeper that does do mobile hives. they could come in for a few weeks/month between waiting to go to the next crop /area.

or someone like me if the is no other bees in the area then to me that screams out loud, queen breeding nuc base.

i have three sites for my bees,
the bee shed (3 hives and queen rearing cells hive splitting)
area two (main bee apiary)
area three , once queens have hatched and flown on the mating flights or before thier flights area three is avalible which is a set distance from many other areas and hives,

it is also my bolt hole if needed for hives that have to be shifted quickly and or quarantine

and as a sasonac, can i get the first gibe in,

hadrians wall was built to keep the scotish in , not the english out. we like to think of it as the first ever walk way on the edge of a nature reserve, so we could look at all the silly people in dresses running around. but without getting to close

and thats just taken me off poly hives christmas card list lol

 

[Easy Beesy]

Aye, and aw that fae a Morris Dancer!! Shake your bells at us Pete, and we'll shake our balls at you!

 

[hedgerow pete]

i am loving it. bring it on rose pettel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Poly Hive]

http://www.caithness.org/community/clubs/olriganddistrictbeekeepersassociation.htm

These are the folks to help you out.

PH

 

[Tom Bick]

I have bought some acres in the middle of nowhere a while back and have had fruit trees (apples mostly) but I am getting no fruits.Thank you.

It’s a bit odd that you are getting no fruit.

How old are the trees young trees can take a few years to start to set fruit and are they self pollinating or do you need a pollinating tree amongst the other trees.

The bees aside you should have plenty of other pollinating insects around to do the pollinating not as good as the honey bee but adequate all the same.

 

[nelletap]

I once had what I thought was a plum tree when I moved into a house. The elderly neighbour said it had never fruited in all teh years he ahd lived next door. I read somewhere about using the back of a spade to thwack the trunk in spring (around now or in a week or two) - something to do with sap rising. the elderly neighbour laughed like a drain - until he saw the tree covered in fruit later in teh year - but greengages not plums. Someone said they had a non fruiting tree a few years later and I relayed this tale - he did similar and emailed me later that year to say it had worked. Worth a try?
Tricia

 

[hedgerow pete]

if its apples it might be that you have lots of apple trees but the incorrect polinators certain trees need a specific tree to work with

 

[Erichalfbee]

Crab apples are good cross pollinators. They will work for any apple I think.

 

[hedgerow pete]

i cant remember the firms name but there is a fruit tree grower in the isle of white they used to have on there catalogue and website a list of what polinators were needed for there trees as some needed certain sorts some needed other types

 

[Stefan]

Thank you for all your replies.
The trees were 4 years old last season and are cross pollinators. I have added some more trees last week to add more pollinators and have also found somebody who might use one of my fields to place one of his beehives.

This is through a friend, so I am waiting to speak to the person myself. Still snow up here so no rush right now.

I will keep that trick with whacking the trunk in mind, but if I did it now I'd snap the trunks... maybe if nothing works I will try it in a few years....

In the meantime I will keep an eye on this forum and try to learn a bit more about our lovely bees.

To start with I want to seed some more flowers and find something bees will nist in, as there is nothing but grass. The gorse was hit by major frost bite when temps went below -20°C and most of it is dead.

 

[tonybloke]

what has the temperature been for the last couple of years @ apple-blossom time?

 

[Hughesie]

Can anyone else confirm that whacking their trunk makes the sap rise! Finnar , Finnar

 

[Easy Beesy]

Dunno about the sap, but I can confirm I laughed til I cried at that one Hughsie!