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Erichalfbee wrote:
The honey stinks of old socks but tastes lovely

I found some dandelion (Tarrasco IIRC) honey in Aosta Northern Italy last year. Off putting smell but delicious.
 
There are plenty of Celandines around my hives and garden. They have been flowering for a few weeks now and are going over. My bees never seem to be interested.
 
Plenty of drones flying today, which seems earlier than usual.
 
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Do bees use celandine? It’s in the buttercup family and the pollen is toxic?
They go crazy for dandelion. The pollen is bright orange.
The honey stinks of old socks but tastes lovely.

Didn't know about celandine's qualities, I noticed there is loads of it around as I was setting out a base for another hive this afternoon.
 
There are plenty of Celandines around my hives and garden. They have been flowering for a few weeks now and are going over. My bees never seem to be interested.

A post by pbh4 in 2012 tells the story, and though the Howes book was first published in 1945 it remains an essential beekeeping tool. Abebooks.co.uk have copies starting at £4.99 delivered. It was so good that William Kirk absorbed most of it into his Plants for Bees in 2012, which is well worth the £35.

From F.N. Howes Plants and Beekeeping http://archive.org/details/plantsandbeekeep031830mbp

BUTTERCUP Ranunculus spp.: Ranunculaceae
The numerous buttercups so prevalent in pastures are of little as bee plants. The flowers of many species seem never consequence to be visited by honey bees at all but those of others, e.g. the lesser celandine (R.ficaria) and bulbous buttercup (R.bulbosus) both common species, may be worked for pollen on occasions.
Buttercups are, in general, unpalatable plants, owing to the presence of an acrid poisonous principle, and have caused poisoning in livestock. It is of interest, therefore, to note that in recent years the pollen of buttercups has been proved to be actually injurious to bees in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe and responsible for a form of 'May sickness'. Bad outbreaks of this malady have occurred in seasons when cold weather has retarded the flowering of the usual early pollen plants, like cherries and dandelions, but not the more hardy buttercups, causing the bees amounts of buttercup pollen.
In Britain there is usually an abundance of other 'wholesome' to collect larger pollen plants in flower at the times so presumably this when form of bee malady buttercups are in bloom, may be less likely to occur. The harmful nature of buttercup pollen, or at any rale that of of Ranunculus, may be the reason why the flowers are species so often completely neglected by hive bees. Their instinct warns some them to leave the flowers alone. (Bee World, 1942, 47, 78.)
 
A post by pbh4 in 2012 tells the story, and though the Howes book was first published in 1945 it remains an essential beekeeping tool. Abebooks.co.uk have copies starting at £4.99 delivered. It was so good that William Kirk absorbed most of it into his Plants for Bees in 2012, which is well worth the £35.

From F.N. Howes Plants and Beekeeping http://archive.org/details/plantsandbeekeep031830mbp

BUTTERCUP Ranunculus spp.: Ranunculaceae
The numerous buttercups so prevalent in pastures are of little as bee plants. The flowers of many species seem never consequence to be visited by honey bees at all but those of others, e.g. the lesser celandine (R.ficaria) and bulbous buttercup (R.bulbosus) both common species, may be worked for pollen on occasions.
Buttercups are, in general, unpalatable plants, owing to the presence of an acrid poisonous principle, and have caused poisoning in livestock. It is of interest, therefore, to note that in recent years the pollen of buttercups has been proved to be actually injurious to bees in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe and responsible for a form of 'May sickness'. Bad outbreaks of this malady have occurred in seasons when cold weather has retarded the flowering of the usual early pollen plants, like cherries and dandelions, but not the more hardy buttercups, causing the bees amounts of buttercup pollen.
In Britain there is usually an abundance of other 'wholesome' to collect larger pollen plants in flower at the times so presumably this when form of bee malady buttercups are in bloom, may be less likely to occur. The harmful nature of buttercup pollen, or at any rale that of of Ranunculus, may be the reason why the flowers are species so often completely neglected by hive bees. Their instinct warns some them to leave the flowers alone. (Bee World, 1942, 47, 78.)
:thanks:
Good reading, thats another knowledge gap that I didn't know I had filled .
 
Yesterday two strong colonies got 1kg of fondant on the top bars..in the few years I have had bees this winter is the most I have had to feed.

You need to start looking for some more frugal bees ...Mine all had a hive that was mostly packed with their own honey topped up with a few litres of Invertbee in October. No fondant needed and they are now flying like crazy and supporting themselves. I have fruit trees in full blossom, the horse chestnuts are just coming into flower and there are loads of spring flowers in bloom .. seems the North East is very much behind the rest of the UK if your bees need feeding.
 
seems the North East is very much behind the rest of the UK if your bees need feeding.

Of course the NE and Nw and Scotland are way behind the south of the UK in terms of season advancement. I'm hearing reports of OSR in flower in Essex, whereas ours is about 6 inches tall and won't be in flower until May at the earliest. Horse Chestnut in flower.....your taking the michael....our daffs have only been out for a week or so.

This is one of the big problems in beekeeping, people assuming what happens in their own small patch is typical of rest of the UK. It isn't
 
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... I have fruit trees in full blossom, the horse chestnuts are just coming into flower and there are loads of spring flowers in bloom .. seems the North East is very much behind the rest of the UK if your bees need feeding.

This is one of the big problems in beekeeping, people assuming what happens in their own small patch is typical of rest of the UK. It isn't

Point well made Beefriendly - Hampshire is roughly 900KM south of my apiary. Expected temperature around 11 - 12 degrees max with 28 - 30mph winds - thats quite a good day here though it would be better with less wind.
 
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Point well made Beefriendly - Hampshire is roughly 900KM south of my apiary. Expected temperature around 11 - 12 degrees max with 28 - 30mph winds - thats quite a good day here though it would be better with less wind.
The wind is 28mph and its 11 c out on the Common. Its going to ramp up to 40mph later.
The girls are flying against it bringing in pollen.
In the garden its 8mph and 14 c.
This wind is going to stop me transferring another nuc and trying to mark some queen's today.
Looks like I'll wait until tue/wed when it's a bit calmer

Sent from my YAL-L21 using Tapatalk
 
Of course the NE and Nw and Scotland are way behind the south of the UK in terms of season advancement. I'm hearing reports of OSR in flower in Essex, whereas ours is about 6 inches tall and won't be in flower until May at the earliest. Horse Chestnut in flower.....your taking the michael....our daffs have only been out for a week or so.

This is one of the big problems in beekeeping, people assuming what happens in their own small patch is typical of rest of the UK. It isn't.


However,. you are not that far from Millett and as I recall from your earlier posts:

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=703059#post703059
Post #7

You have copious amounts of pollen coming in

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=703053#post703053
Post #18

Your bees weren't quite wall to wall but not far off it last week in the warm weather.

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=702966#post702966
Post#11

You were too busy extracting your spring honey, need to keep up...no time for napping.. Remarkable strains of Buckfast bees Br. Adam produced.

Either you are in a very different part of the North East or there is something I'm missing ? Aren't Millets bees the same miracuous Buckfats that you keep .. I assume you are not chucking more fondant on them ?

Perhaps you should be telling Millet how you do it ?
 
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The simple point is the local conditions you in the balmy saath Coast of England are experiencing are very different to uuup North. Conditions vary considerably over very short distances up here. For example on Friday it was breezy and my bees in the garden where flying and doing as they should be. At one of my out apiaries it was blowing a gale and no-one was flying. The difference 9 miles can make. And Millets bees are about 120 miles further north than mine......
 
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Painted up a new batch of nucs - will spend a pleasant afternoon watching them dry :icon_204-2:

We've taken self isolation up a level here in Brynmair - trying to avoid SWMBO as much as possible :D
 
The simple point is the local conditions you in the balmy saath Coast of England are experiencing are very different to uuup North. Conditions vary considerably over very short distances up here. For example on Friday it was breezy and my bees in the garden where flying and doing as they should be. At one of my out apiaries it was blowing a gale and no-one was flying. The difference 9 miles can make. And Millets bees are about 120 miles further north than mine......

So .. are you saying that advice from any beekeeper who does not have his bees within spitting distance of your bees is invalid ?

In which case every beekeeping book and this forum is rendered useless ?

We all offer advice and comment on here based on our own experience, in many cases this will have been locally gathered, in others from a more extensive geographia.

So .. perhaps you should stop pointing out the differences in beekeeping, climate and practices as a result of location as we are all grown up enough to consider the differences and make our beekeeping decisions on what suits us locally ?
 
What I am saying is that thinking the current status of hives of bees on the South of England is comparable to hives close to the Scottish borders is fairly typical of the ill judged advise that often emanates from the Southern half of the beekeeping community. For some peculiar reason many seem to naively assume everywhere in the UK has the same timings and climate as they experience.
 
What I am saying is that thinking the current status of hives of bees on the South of England is comparable to hives close to the Scottish borders is fairly typical of the ill judged advise that often emanates from the Southern half of the beekeeping community. For some peculiar reason many seem to naively assume everywhere in the UK has the same timings and climate as they experience.

So which bit of this post did you think met any of the above ?

"You need to start looking for some more frugal bees ...Mine all had a hive that was mostly packed with their own honey topped up with a few litres of Invertbee in October. No fondant needed and they are now flying like crazy and supporting themselves. I have fruit trees in full blossom, the horse chestnuts are just coming into flower and there are loads of spring flowers in bloom .. seems the North East is very much behind the rest of the UK if your bees need feeding. "

And more to the point - your earlier posts I identified that would indicate spring has definitely sprung in the North East ?

My interest was why Millet's bees needed feeding fondant at a time when it would appear, from your posts and others up North, there are indications that there is plenty of forage about - particularly if the colonies are already strong as Millet suggested.

I was just curious ....
 
beekeeping, climate and practices as a result of location as we are all grown up enough to consider the differences and make our beekeeping decisions on what suits us locally

If only that were true, Pargyle. While the experienced may - may - be aware, too many newer beekeepers (are they the UK majority?) prefer to follow the book or a Youtube video shot in Austin, Texas, rather than read their local weather patterns. Flexible experience is not easy to acquire for those accustomed to the easy, convenient and predictable.
 
My interest was why Millet's bees needed feeding fondant at a time when it would appear, from your posts and others up North, there are indications that there is plenty of forage about - particularly if the colonies are already strong as Millet suggested.

I was just curious ....

No puzzle Philip, just simple good beekeeping, if your bees need feeding you feed them. I have never said there was plenty of forage.....plenty of pollen, but there is currently no nectar coming in, in my region. Consequently they go through their remaining stores at a prodigious rate at this time of year reading brood. I know what mine have left and if the weather stays bad they will need a top up. In my case it will be returned brood frames full of stores...if required...I suspect that being 100 miles further North that it will be a similar picture for Millet.
Today is the first time this year the mercury has risen beyond 10C for an extended period, so hopefully if it stays that way there will soon be nectar from the early flowering cherries and blackthorn that is just starting to blossom.
Chestnut in flower...LOL....a different world, shame many seem to have difficulty appreciating these regional differences and how it might affect your actions as a beekeeper.
 
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What I am saying is that thinking the current status of hives of bees on the South of England is comparable to hives close to the Scottish borders is fairly typical of the ill judged advise that often emanates from the Southern half of the beekeeping community. For some peculiar reason many seem to naively assume everywhere in the UK has the same timings and climate as they experience.

Is there anything past Watford!
 

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