Well thats my summer nearly over

[MuswellMetro]

The Blackberries are over two weeks earlier than last year and the Lime has just come out, at this rate Christmas will be in October

 

[pargyle]

The Blackberries are over two weeks earlier than last year and the Lime has just come out, at this rate Christmas will be in October

Oh my ... the Lime trees at Hampton Court are usually in full blossom at the Hampton Court Flower SHow which is in July .. always covered in bees when I sit and eat my sandwiches .. what is going on ?

 

[Insy]

I noticed this the other day whilst playing in the apiary up the farm, blackberries been open for a while now and limes out on my road......

 

[MuswellMetro]

Oh my ... the Lime trees at Hampton Court are usually in full blossom at the Hampton Court Flower SHow which is in July .. always covered in bees when I sit and eat my sandwiches .. what is going on ?

The oldest beekeeper in my BKA says it has happended before, he says it is the dry patch we had in may,,,everything went into suvival mode due to the drought, so in flower early

 

[Roola]

Oh god Muswell, don't say that... Spring crop wasn't great and they ate a load of it during the last month... My yield is going to be terrible this year if that is the case!

 

[pargyle]

The oldest beekeeper in my BKA says it has happended before, he says it is the dry patch we had in may,,,everything went into suvival mode due to the drought, so in flower early

Yep ... that makes some sense - following on from a very mild winter down here so the soil would be relatively warm as well ... apparently, it all starts from the roots ...

 

[madasafish]

Speak for the sunny south. We had a lot of winter rain and yes we had a dry spell.. but the lime is yet to come (2 weeks) and it is peeing with rain most days since 1st June...And my empty 45 gallon greenhouse water barrel has gone from empty to full in 12 days...

 

[Roola]

Interestingly I went over to my essex apiary today and the hedge is full of bramble buds which are yet to open... could it be that some of your local stuff is a different species that flowers earlier? There may still be hope!

 

[wightbees]

Here's my bramble

 

[Insy]

Bramble where I am has been open for nearly 2 weeks now.....

 

[Millet]

I'm not sure what is going on down Sarf but everything is on track here even more so better than last year and the summer flowers/weeds are just coming in to bud, i have around one and a half supers from the spring crop if i had better bees that would double, last year i had nine frames from the spring crop.
It's about time you southern softies got a taste of our weather..

 

[Tim.S]

It is dire here - dearth up to now and now the blackberries are out at least. My rape crop was non existent this year as just too dry and cold at times. Roll on next year!

 

[Erichalfbee]

We have a rain and wind induced June dearth.
And a new Plaid MP......maybe the two are linked

 

[Gilberdyke John]

It is dire here - dearth up to now and now the blackberries are out at least. My rape crop was non existent this year as just too dry and cold at times. Roll on next year!

Despite being within easy reach of rape fields the spring honey I've extracted so far is refusing to solidify. Weird.com

 

[Webby]

Plenty of blackberries out in the south east. They will flower for a while longer yet. I drove from Exeter back to Kent this afternoon and blackberry were out all the way home 210 miles.

 

[Millet]

Despite being within easy reach of rape fields the spring honey I've extracted so far is refusing to solidify. Weird.com

I'm hoping that happens for thee as my Super and a half of honey is staying put till the summer flow as finished.

 

[Beefriendly]

Despite being within easy reach of rape fields the spring honey I've extracted so far is refusing to solidify. Weird.com

Interesting...
Bees I had sat in a field of rape...solid. Those with a mile or so to fly to nearest rape field, still liquid. Suggests local non rape nectar sources.
Thank goodness as I'm out of summer runny honey

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Eeek - not yet done my second OSR harvest - today's the day

 

[justsmith]

blackberries and bindweed are starting to come in full flower in the midlands area for me

 

[Millet]

blackberries and bindweed are starting to come in full flower in the midlands area for me

Does bindweed produce any nectar. ? .