Strange time of the year...

[Somerford]

....just returned from a blackberry forage along a footpath near our house with my 18 m old son (who ate most of the blackberries, but that is another story...) and to my astonishment I noticed the blackberry bramble alongside the one I was picking had FLOWERS on it - yes ! 3rd October and the brambles are FLOWERING.

What was even MORE astounding was the activity on the flower - a honeybee !

If only I had had my camera/phone on me.

Then, just below the hedge I spotted RED CLOVER IN FLOWER....and considering this was an East facing hedgerow, I was amazed.


Global warming ? Indian Summer ? who knows !


regards


S

 

[Chris B]

There's certainly a good flow on. My bees thought it worthwhile flying today, in spite of strong winds.

 

[tidymeup]

I have also seen blackberry in flower and red clover. the fire weed and evening primrose are still flowering very well to.

Usually by the time the leaves are really coming off the trees flowering is done.

 

[oliver90owner]

Everything bar one was quite busy, despite the wind - and the one is a queenless (or I wish I could find her) stock that is awaiting to be united with a colony in a nuc.

The nuc is obviously stuffed full of stores - might just as well call it a full colony - on 5 brood and super frames in a 14 x 12 nuc box! I easily carried a similar nuc box out to the site and 'not so easily' lugged this one back.

So the season is still going strong. I expect the weather to be better again shortly, but it cannot last so much longer - or can it? I am certainly not banking on it now. Bees are about ready for a quiet spell, but still collecting, and considerable amounts of brood in one colony in the garden.

Reply to JCBrum from his Aug 10th post. Decided to do it now (unite) as the weather has been so good since you posted back then. I was patient for a queen to start laying and they were collecting loads of stores - and were some way out for me to collect. Didn't work out (only 2 out of 3 Q+) so unite now - well as soon as practical. Both hives are adjacent so deed will be done shortly (I also know there is already enough stores in the nuc for over-wintering).

Regards, RAB

 

[Ewok]

Yup it ceritanly is wierd this year! About 5 miles east of us, there's a field of rape in flower???
Obviously its left over from an earlier crop, but it's definately more yellow than green.

 

[Nopants]

Yup it ceritanly is wierd this year! About 5 miles east of us, there's a field of rape in flower???
Obviously its left over from an earlier crop, but it's definately more yellow than green.

Well they are even saying that some House martins and Swallows still had young brood and havent left for warmer climbs.
My Bees were out again today in huge numbers collecting in pollen and nectar from Ivy. I have not seem them this busy since early June.
My Nuc has requeened itself and I have 3 frames of brood and a laying queen thanks to the good weather allowing her to mate. All in all a good end to a good year !