Sunflower honey

[witchcraft]

Just back from a fantastic two weeks amongst the vines and sunflowers of the Tarn (near Toulouse). Loads of hives and I bought a jar of the bright orange Tournsol local honey, I know we get nothing off sunflowers here in the UK but our southern-french amis do get a lovely floral, colourful honey off it. Delicious!

 

[Chris Luck]

Indeed we do and it's ludicrously cheap.

Chris

 

[thepliedes]

Free sample jar to Manchester? Sunflowers..hmmmm

 

[blackcavebees]

Maybe a silly q but ....

I planted loads of sunflowers, different varieties, this year. Bumbles are on them but my bees don't seem to bother. Am I missing something?

 

[Chris Luck]

I planted loads of sunflowers, different varieties, this year. Bumbles are on them but my bees don't seem to bother. Am I missing something?

Temperature.

Bumble bees can "dig" nectar out when there is minimal flow. Honey bees require a much greater flow that won't be produced by sunflowers until about 26°C has been attained.

Chris

 

[peteinwilts]

Maybe a silly q but ....

I planted loads of sunflowers, different varieties, this year. Bumbles are on them but my bees don't seem to bother. Am I missing something?

I planted several hundred sunflowers of different types a few years ago and they flowered in nice hot weather...
...they were completely ignored by the honeys bees. they were far too interested in the clover and bramble.

 

[Chris Luck]

Then it was the temperature.

Honey bees love sunflower the way they love OSR, they will pass over everything else to get to it.

Chris

 

[witchcraft]

Then it was the temperature.

Honey bees love sunflower the way they love OSR, they will pass over everything else to get to it.

Chris

Last week the french honey bees were queuing up to get onto sunflowers in southern France. Last year my hives were next to a field of them in the UK (planted to be winter pheasant feed) - complete disinterest from my bees. Its a temperature thing...

 

[blackcavebees]

Temperature.

Bumble bees can "dig" nectar out when there is minimal flow. Honey bees require a much greater flow that won't be produced by sunflowers until about 26°C has been attained.

Chris

I can't remember the last time we had 26c here -lol (maybe should take me bees on holiday with me to sunnier country) -wait, I think there was one day 3 years ago ...

Note to self- don't bother planting loads of sunflowers next year, keep with borage