What's flowering as forage in your area

[The Poot]

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.

How do you differentiate between HB nectar and other floral nectar - in a hive?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How do you differentiate between HB nectar and other floral nectar - in a hive?

there's nothing else to bring in, and no fresh nectar at all in the frames

 

[Sutty]

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.

What would evidence of HB nectar be?

 

[Sutty]

Sorry Poot got there 1st!

 

[E&MBees]

Ivy flowering brilliantly here. The apiary smells very strong and bee traffic is like rush hour on the M25! Hives are very heavy. I gave one colony in a double brood poly nuc, a 6 frame super during the summer just in case whilst I was away, they didn’t touch it. Forgot to remove it last week. Today, 5 days later the foundation is drawn, filled and partially capped.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Ivy flow started here a few days ago.

 

[Erichalfbee]

there's nothing else to bring in, and no fresh nectar at all in the frames

It's always the same here. Lots of white dots but nothing much in the frames. Strange when you read folks in some places get supers of the stuff

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ivy flowering brilliantly here.

Just starting here in time for the bad weather
Never mind. The bees are fed and treated

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What would evidence of HB nectar be?

no other forage in the area, bees covered in HB pollen and evidence of fresh nectar in the combs
Not very hard to apply a little logic really

 

[Do224]

Just starting here in time for the bad weather
Never mind. The bees are fed and treated

Have you finished feeding completely?

 

[Sutty]

no other forage in the area, bees covered in HB pollen and evidence of fresh nectar in the combs
Not very hard to apply a little logic really

In my area there's pretty much always something to forage, I'm not really inspecting other than hefting if there isn't an obvious need, so not looking for nectar. A few bees still look to be on the HB from the pollen on them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Have you finished feeding completely?

Yes. There is only Ivy to come and in the ten years we have been here it’s come good only twice to make a significant difference to stores. Yes they forage on it when they can and do store and eat it but never enough

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Yes. There is only Ivy to come and in the ten years we have been here it’s come good only twice to make a significant difference to stores. Yes they forage on it when they can and do store and eat it but never enough

Don't know why this year is so different but my ivy has burst into bloom and it's absolutely heaving with wasps, flies bumble bees and hover flies but hardly any honey bees. Last year and previous years bees were all over it.

 

[The Poot]

Don't know why this year is so different but my ivy has burst into bloom and it's absolutely heaving with wasps, flies bumble bees and hover flies but hardly any honey bees. Last year and previous years bees were all over it.

Perhaps they‘re not foraging on it as there’s better stuff around? HB?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Perhaps they‘re not foraging on it as there’s better stuff around? HB?

I've found HB is always the last option - definitely not 'better stuff' than ivy

 

[Swarm]

Perhaps they‘re not foraging on it as there’s better stuff around? HB?

I noticed a lot of bee traffic on the weekend, Ivy is in flower but only the odd bee with yellow pollen, most were dusted white but not bringing pollen.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Perhaps they‘re not foraging on it as there’s better stuff around? HB?

Despite being within a mile of several water courses and drainage ditches I haven't seen any HB growing at any of them. No ghost bees either. A few bees are carrying yellow pollen but nothing like previous years.

 

[Do224]

80% of the ivy I’ve seen around here is still in bud…it just seems to be flowering if it gets some sun.

That said, the bees are obviously finding plenty somewhere…they were piling in pollen at 10am this morning despite it only being about 12 celcius

View attachment IMG_8990.MOV

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

At the range this afternoon - heady smell of ivy honey at the apiary, bees piling in yellow pollen.
Andthis!

 

[ericbeaumont]

there’s better stuff around? HB?

HB produces 49% more nectar than any other European plant, but the quality of that nectar - proteins, salts, amino acids - may not match ivy, which has a sugar concentration of (strangely) 49%.

https://scottishpollinators.wordpre...flower produces about 0.5,less than 0.1 mg/h.