What's flowering as forage in your area

[elainemary]

Colonies are piling in heather pollen today. Many bees returning are laden and all very busy

 

[deemann1]

There are two fields of chicory next my apiary

 

[ericbeaumont]

Eucryphia on its way

First saw eucryphia in Lismore Castle gardens, Co. Waterford; in full flower at the time, they were Eucryphia intermedia Rostrevor and must have been 40' tall and covered in bees; noise was spectacular.

 

[Antipodes]

First saw eucryphia in Lismore Castle gardens, Co. Waterford; in full flower at the time, they were Eucryphia intermedia Rostrevor and must have been 40' tall and covered in bees; noise was spectacular.

Interesting Eric. So a Chilean cross, and not the Tasmanian one, but still....presumably Gondwanian in origin.

 

[Sutty]

No idea what mine are bringing in VERY busy, a few are obviously on the Himalayan balsalm, but most are arriving with medium-filled pollen baskets of dull yellow pollen. At some times of day it looks like every bee!
Anyone any ideas?

 

[beeker]

Fortunate to be able to keep my bees where I work at a trout fishery.
First year there and they seem to like it as much as me.
Very busy on the water mint at the minute, together with all sorts of other pollinators too.

 

[Curly green finger's]

heather and willow herb flow has started put a second super on my single brood heather colony’s today,also continued to bank boxes on the demareed colony’s which are also at the heather stance’s.

 

[JamezF]

We have plenty of rosebay willowherb around here, but the honeybees don't seem to be visiting it. Bumble bees certainly, but it looks as though the honeybees have found something else as yet unknown. I suspect from the direction they're leaving the apiary that it may be something flowering along the banks of a nearby stream, though quite a few local streams are almost dried up now. I guess the soil around them will still be relatively moist compared with anywhere else.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

We have masses of rosebay across the valley where the pine trees were cut down 5 years ago but the replanted trees are gradually taking over again. In 2018 we had the perfect storm with cracking weather and a bare hillside. My summer crop was mostly rosebay.

 

[Erichalfbee]

heather and willow herb flow has started put a second super on my single brood heather colony’s today,also continued to bank boxes on the demareed colony’s which are also at the heather stance’s.

What does banking boxes mean?

 

[user 20297]

We have masses of rosebay across the valley where the pine trees were cut down 5 years ago but the replanted trees are gradually taking over again. In 2018 we had the perfect storm with cracking weather and a bare hillside. My summer crop was mostly rosebay.

"Depends where you are. We have masses here in the Aeron valley and the bees visit it certainly but they never bring much in."

Never mind, "Ask two beekeepers, etc." Only a few days apart, one beekeeper gives two different views on the same subject.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

"Depends where you are. We have masses here in the Aeron valley and the bees visit it certainly but they never bring much in."

Never mind, "Ask two beekeepers, etc." Only a few days apart, one beekeeper gives two different views on the same subject.

but on two different flowering plants

 

[Erichalfbee]

Never mind, "Ask two beekeepers, etc." Only a few days apart, one beekeeper gives two different views on the same subject.

Explain?

 

[robmort]

On Saturday at 8.30pm, I passed a large willow tree nearby that was humming with honey bees yet couldn't see any flowers that they were attracted to, but they were all over it apparently on the leaves.

 

[Sutty]

On Saturday at 8.30pm, I passed a large willow tree nearby that was humming with honey bees yet couldn't see any flowers that they were attracted to, but they were all over it apparently on the leaves.

Honeydew?

 

[pargyle]

We have plenty of rosebay willowherb around here, but the honeybees don't seem to be visiting it. Bumble bees certainly, but it looks as though the honeybees have found something else as yet unknown. I suspect from the direction they're leaving the apiary that it may be something flowering along the banks of a nearby stream, though quite a few local streams are almost dried up now. I guess the soil around them will still be relatively moist compared with anywhere else.

James

The Rosebay down here is all but finished ... it didn't do a lot for the honey bees - I suspect the dry weather left it devoid of enough nectar to warrant their attention. The bumbles were all over it - there's a lot of it along the railway line and well withint flying distance of my hives and I was hoping but .... nothing. They are still finding something - very strong smell of ripening honey in the apiary last night.

 

[Wilco]

Some of the heather is in flower... Fingers crossed although heatwave starting

 

[Erichalfbee]

but on two different flowering plants

Perhaps the complainant can’t tell the difference twixt Balsam and Rosebay. Well they are both purple/pinkish so maybe understandable.

 

[ericbeaumont]

heather is in flower

Guess that'll be ling, Will? Anything going into the boxes?

Going down there later this week but it's hellish hot. Two weeks ago a lot of balsam was coming in, but though the bell was still in flower I didn't see anything on it, though I could smell nectar in the apiary and the boxes.

 

[Wilco]

Guess that'll be ling, Will? Anything going into the boxes?

Going down there later this week but it's hellish hot. Two weeks ago a lot of balsam was coming in, but though the bell was still in flower I didn't see anything on it, though I could smell nectar in the apiary and the boxes.

Not sure as I only drove by on the Churt road but I think bell is in flower and a hint of ling in places but not masses. I had a bit of comb loose in one box (garden swarm had some wild comb with brood in, I've moved it the other side of the QE so I can discard it when it's all emerged) which they'd put a bit of nectar in which had a slight flavour of ling but I'm not sure it's monofloral.

Last week there was a tiny bit of balsam coming in but not much else. My hives are right next to the river.

However, I'm also miffed as of the four colonies there, one is superceding, and one appears to have swarmed in the last couple of days. Hopefully get in another there as backup tomorrow night. Best laid plans...