- Joined
- Jul 23, 2009
- Messages
- 36,480
- Reaction score
- 17,092
- Location
- Ceredigion
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 6
Dandelions are the best I have ever seen. All the silage fields are yellow with them. Nectar is pouring into the hives. Happy days.
Mine are definitely on something else. they are not even on the cotoneaster which is a first. It is usually heaving! Everything is in blossom here. Even Bramley apples which is ridiculous! I think there may be a May gap. But then limes are not even trying so hopefully they may fill a gap. Oddly when I look in the hives the nectar isn't actually piling in!Dandelions are the best I have ever seen. All the silage fields are yellow with them. Nectar is pouring into the hives. Happy days.
My hives stink of it.Oddly when I look in the hives the nectar isn't actually piling in!
In the Queen of the Suburbs, have noticed some Horse Chestnut in flower on Ealing Common and saw a couple of bees with brick red pollen when inspecting last weekend. Saw some lovely green pollen being brought in as well. I feel sorry for those who live in the countrysideHawthorn opening in the bleak badlands of Rainham, West Essex, and horse chestnut in flower in Lower Clapton, Hackney, the jewel of London boroughs.
I feel sorry for those who live in the countryside
HopefullyHonestly, it's awful. You really don't ever want to come here
James
nwithThe OSR around here is unusual this year. There's been none for a few years and prior to that it pretty much all flowered at the same time. This year however I think the first field I saw in flower was in the first week of this month, but I'm seeing more and more all the time. Even today I noticed a couple more fields that I wouldn't have missed if they'd flowered earlier. I'm wondering if it's different varieties, or sowing times, or perhaps even temperature difference between sowings higher in the hills and those at the bottom of the valleys. I'd not be 100% surprised if we had OSR flowering somewhere until late May.
Could be a bit of a nightmare as far as extraction is concerned. It might become necessary to remove full supers or even combs as they're ready and extract straight away rather than wait until the last flowers start to go over. I can't see that making me very popular in the kitchen...
James
Yep - once the tourists start swarming .................................... Wonder if we will be just out of range of their electric carsHonestly, it's awful. You really don't ever want to come here
James
Obviously not enough dandelions to go round in South Wales!! In Somerset they are allocated a flower head each!Honey bees on Dandelion
View attachment 35938
West wales has them all.Obviously not enough dandelions to go round in South Wales!! In Somerset they are allocated a flower head each!
Poor things have to fly all of 200 yards to 32 acres of themObviously not enough dandelions to go round in South Wales!! In Somerset they are allocated a flower head each!
Sadly it looks like we have zero OSR fields here this year. We normally have at least a couple but they’ve all been turned over to grainThe OSR around here is unusual this year. There's been none for a few years and prior to that it pretty much all flowered at the same time. This year however I think the first field I saw in flower was in the first week of this month, but I'm seeing more and more all the time. Even today I noticed a couple more fields that I wouldn't have missed if they'd flowered earlier. I'm wondering if it's different varieties, or sowing times, or perhaps even temperature difference between sowings higher in the hills and those at the bottom of the valleys. I'd not be 100% surprised if we had OSR flowering somewhere until late May.
Could be a bit of a nightmare as far as extraction is concerned. It might become necessary to remove full supers or even combs as they're ready and extract straight away rather than wait until the last flowers start to go over. I can't see that making me very popular in the kitchen...
James
Sadly it looks like we have zero OSR fields here this year. We normally have at least a couple but they’ve all been turned over to grain
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