What's flowering as forage in your area

[user 20297]

White bees still piling in to many of my hives. Never known HB to flower for so long!

It always goes on forever up here.

 

[Swarm]

Yes, a friend of mine usually starts clearing mid October to take advantage of the Balsam. I was at his apiary today and pointed out all the Knotweed in flower as well.

 

[SWHives]

Yepp, ivy is starting to bloom here as well.

 

[Do224]

Not sure what the bees have found?… but in the past week they’ve stopped coming back as ghosts from the balsam and are now laden with yellow pollen

 

[pargyle]

Not sure what the bees have found?… but in the past week they’ve stopped coming back as ghosts from the balsam and are now laden with yellow pollen

Ivy ... orangey browny yellow colour.

 

[StephenT]

Decent ivy flow now. Weighed the hives and they’ve put on a bit of weight in the last couple of weeks. Not enough that they won’t need feeding though.

 

[Sutty]

HB still going here but mostly gone to seed. Saw loads of bumbles and honeybees on Japanese Knotweed about 500m from my hives today. Occasional bee with major dark orange pollen loads too, though the only ivy I've seen is still in bud.

 

[JamezF]

Yes, most of our ivy still seems to be in bud.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Japanese Knotweed

Red honey

 

[Sutty]

Red honey

I'll look out for it!

 

[Wilco]

Ivy flowering. Sad sight on the school run: horse chestnut in sparse new leaf and flower. Many others this way look dead save for a few conkers still ripening.

Can't decide whether the stress of this summer means they'll flower poorly next year or whether they'll put everything into a bumper crop through the stress.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have a white beam putting out new leaves from frazzled dead looking branches.
We have a Beech mast year here. Our trees are groaning under the weight. Even the hedges have fruit.

 

[E&MBees]

Ivy flowering. Sad sight on the school run: horse chestnut in sparse new leaf and flower. Many others this way look dead save for a few conkers still ripening.

Can't decide whether the stress of this summer means they'll flower poorly next year or whether they'll put everything into a bumper crop through the stress.

A lot of the conkers here have failed to develop properly. I have one hive next to a horse chestnut, not a scrap of red pollen stored this year. Last year the frames were plastered with it.

 

[JamezF]

Ivy flowering. Sad sight on the school run: horse chestnut in sparse new leaf and flower. Many others this way look dead save for a few conkers still ripening.

Some plants seem to have no idea what's going on. My climbing beans are flowering, as is our wisteria. Dandelions are having a third crack at flowering as well. On the other hand a few sycamores that I'd estimate to be getting on for ten years old have just died completely.

James

 

[user 819]

With the ivy flow one in temps in the mid to high teens should be able to smell the aroma at the hive. My three in town have a very strong aroma emminating from them also evident by the mass of orange pollen coming in and the heavy traffic coming and going.

 

[JamezF]

I've just had a slow trip up the drive observing the plants and insects. It looks as though the first few ivy buds may be starting to open. All sorts of insects are flying around them expectantly. I also saw a blackthorn in flower. Perhaps the weather has confused it into thinking it's in Australia.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees busy on the asters today.

 

[pargyle]

Ivy flowering. Sad sight on the school run: horse chestnut in sparse new leaf and flower. Many others this way look dead save for a few conkers still ripening.

Can't decide whether the stress of this summer means they'll flower poorly next year or whether they'll put everything into a bumper crop through the stress.

Yes the horse chestnuts around me (there are lots) experienced a false autumn about four weeks ago and the leaves dropped .. not so many conkers as usual and some of them are under-developed. New leaf growth starting after the rain of the last 2 weeks ... they are trying and surviving but they seem to have suffered more than most other trees. Really brings home the effects of climate change.

 

[Amari]

Yes, most of our ivy still seems to be in bud.

James

. It looks as though the first few ivy buds may be starting to open.

James

Strange! Ivy here is totally finished so I'm busy trimming back this year's growth.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

most of the ivy around here is yet to flower
Saw quite a bit of bramble flowering today - in more than one location and altitude.
Bees still piling in the HB pollen although very little evidence of HB nectar in the hives.