Osr?

[Werbo]

I took my girls for a walk to see if we could spot any honey bees on a local nature reserve and gather ideas as to where we should put our next bait trap. I found this growing on the river bank, is it the dreaded OSR as I think it is?

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[GaryB]

yes it's OSR

 

[Werbo]

yes it's OSR

Is it easy to tell apart from other types of pollen?


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[Into the lions den]

Is it easy to tell apart from other types of pollen?


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It is relatively easy to tell if bees are working OSR. Although it happens with other members of the family too, at this time of year its a safe bet they are on OSR if some of the bees come back with a little streak of yellow pollen up the front of their faces. Yellow pollen on the legs too, but can actually be very variable in shade.

Remember with bait hives that its gross bad manners to put them down near other beeks hives, so just be sure you are not unless you have their express permission to do so. You can also get some real suspicion directed your way if you put them down near other peoples bees with old combs in the box. YOU presumably know there is no disease in your bait hive, but the other beekeepers don't.

 

[Werbo]

As far I'm aware there shouldn't be another bee keeper near. There is a retail park one side, a big golf course the other, football pitches the other and the final side is a river, train track, bypass then housing estate. So I can't say for certain but I'm sure there won't be anyone close by.


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[Gilberdyke John]

Why do you describe it as the dreaded osr? Many beekeepers actually take hives to osr to gain the benefit of extra honey.

 

[Werbo]

Why do you describe it as the dreaded osr? Many beekeepers actually take hives to osr to gain the benefit of extra honey.

It's my first year so I don't really want to be taking honey stores out of the hive away from them. Ideally id want them to fill the hive and leave them through the winter. But as I understand I'll have to harvest OSR as it sets to hard.


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[Gilberdyke John]

It's my first year so I don't really want to be taking honey stores out of the hive away from them. Ideally id want them to fill the hive and leave them through the winter. But as I understand I'll have to harvest OSR as it sets to hard.


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Bees are perfectly capable of dealing with granulated honey as long as water is available to them. If you have any ivy within foraging distance they will pile that in at the start of winter and that is also famed for its granulation properties.
There are lots of other honeys that granulate but osr gets the bad press mostly because of quantity that floods in from the masses of flowers in large fields. You just have to go with the flow (sorry for the pun)

 

[Psycad]

Good morning

What is OSR ? Oil Seed Rape ?
Why is it dreaded ?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Good morning

What is OSR ? Oil Seed Rape ?
Why is it dreaded ?

1 - correct
2 - it's not but scare stories abound. You might as well dread the common cold.

 

[Psycad]

1 - correct
2 - it's not but scare stories abound. You might as well dread the common cold.

Thank you John
Noted that in UK some people have irrational fear of this plant

 

[birdsandbees]

I was fearful until I actually did some research and asked folk with real knowledge of the crop, now I'm disappointed as the weather has cooled and they can't forage on it so well.
It was the immediacy of extracting it that was my worry but I gather it can still be spun out after six weeks or so I'm told, if/when they start capping the supers I'll swap them and spin it out then.

 

[Werbo]

Bees are perfectly capable of dealing with granulated honey as long as water is available to them. If you have any ivy within foraging distance they will pile that in at the start of winter and that is also famed for its granulation properties.

There are lots of other honeys that granulate but osr gets the bad press mostly because of quantity that floods in from the masses of flowers in large fields. You just have to go with the flow (sorry for the pun)

Good to here, I've a pond abit 20m away so they should be fine water wise.


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[Werbo]

A book I've just read says OSR can set solid and the bees can't get it out, I'm confused.


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[Finman]

A book I've just read says OSR can set solid and the bees can't get it out, I'm confused. Soon you are really in troubles and bees swarm and escapes.


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IT goes solid always and bees can eate it always as solid. IT is normal sugar.

But the idea, that you start to collect next winter food from very first spring rape, that makes no sense.
that is catch and release beekeeping.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A book I've just read says OSR can set solid and the bees can't get it out, I'm confused.


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The first bit is correct, the second not, the third obviously
It's a common misconception that honey setting in the comb is inaccessible to the bees. The same is often said of Ivy.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

A book I've just read says OSR can set solid and the bees can't get it out, I'm confused.


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There's a lot of crap written but about bees especially so. I understand it was claimed in some printed sources there's a red double decker bus on the other side of the moon.

 

[Fatbee]

Werbo it's good that you're reading up on the subject - many do not - but there are loads of misconceptions out there. So, what do you do? You learn to trust sources that you know are right (mentors, well regarded authors) and importantly learn by doing. Times move on but a lot in print hasn't

 

[Into the lions den]

There's a lot of crap written but about bees especially so..

Oh yes....my saying about bee publications is that they are 'opinion rich, fact deficient.' .....and that my opinion before anyone thinks its a fact.

 

[Finman]

Oh yes....my saying about bee publications is that they are 'opinion rich, fact deficient.' .....and that my opinion before anyone thinks its a fact.

Every one will find such ideas what they are collecting. Alternative facts.
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