What's flowering as forage in your area

[masterBK]

Some willow varieties have extrafloral nectaries so not all the nectar comes from the flowers.

 

[Curly green fingers]

ooh! greedy boy !

Greedy family , i even take it to work to have in tea.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Some willow varieties have extrafloral nectaries so not all the nectar comes from the flowers.

Which ones MB ?

 

[Ptarmigan]

Some willow varieties have extrafloral nectaries so not all the nectar comes from the flowers.

Which ones MB ?

Salicaceae :
Salix alba, , , , , ,Keeler 1979 on leaf & petiole
Salix amygdaloides,, , , ,Keeler 1979 leaf
Salix caroliniana, , , , , ,Keeler unpub. leaf
Salix eleagnos, , , , , ,Schremmer, 1970
Salix exigua, , , , , ,Keeler 1979 leaf
Salix fragilis, , , , , ,Zimmermann 1932 leaf & petiole
Salix lucida, , , , , ,Keeler 1979 leaf & petiole
Salix petiolaris, , , , , ,Keeler 1979 leaf
Salix rigida, , , , , ,Keeler 1979 leaf
Salix sp. willow, , ,Mizell 2004

I am not an expert, but my reading is that these sites (extrafloral nectaries) are to attract other beneficials [insects] [arthropods] and/or excrete waste products [and "release exudates other than nectar"],
not to attract pollinators.
So they may not be found by bees ?

Keeler :
digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1277&context=bioscifacpub

Mizell : Google "willow, , ,Mizell 2004" and look for the pdf
Russell_Mizell/publication/237204953_Many_Plants_Have_Extrafloral_Nectaries_Helpful_to_Beneficials1/links/00b4952b09414f1b9c000000/Many-Plants-Have-Extrafloral-Nectaries-Helpful-to-Beneficials1.pdf?origin=publication_detail

 

[Eyeman]

Willow provides pollen and a little nectar for bees. Crab Apple, Medlar, Quince and Wild Pear are ok and Wild Cherry has plenty of nectar. Hawthorn gives lots of nectar, flowering with white blossom usually from late April/May. Field Maple in flower is a good source of nectar, also around May.
+ many others.

Field Maple is an underrated nectar source. The councils around here planted lots of trees in the past.
Minor nectar producers provide the background energy that may be sufficient to meet the colonies needs and adds to the diversity of the bees diet. The major nectar producers are responsible for the main nectar/honey flows which can result in surplus honey. Some of those that you have quoted are responsible for my spring nectar flow along with sycamore.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I found this .
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjAOegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw1AkzrtbL3R0BlagO1xZhj3
Dave Cushman

 

[Murox]

When I mentioned Willow I was in fact referring specifically to the Goat Willow Salix caprea. It is this one that is so valuable to various wildlife and of course the honeybee. Goat willow and other broader-leafed species of willow (including grey willow) are sometimes referred to as 'sallows'. Goat willow or ‘great sallow’ and grey willow the ‘common sallow’ are both sometimes called 'pussy willow' .
The others, and there are at least 60 different kinds of hybrid and cultivated varieties are grown in Britain according to the woodland trust, have varying and unknown to me uses and benefits.(yes ok, baskets and cricket bats) (Source: The Woodland Trust)

Field Maple (Acer campestre) is a native tree, unlike the Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) which was introduced, both are Maples.

 

[Murox]

I found this .
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjAOegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw1AkzrtbL3R0BlagO1xZhj3
Dave Cushman

Great find, well sought out.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Great find, well sought out.

Cheers a bit of bed time reading

 

[viridens]

Dandelion in the fields, Blackthorn, Purple Dead Nettle and Henbit in the hedgerows, Magnolia Soulangeana and Stellata in local gardens, Heather on local verges.

Pollen coming in by the bucketload. Mine have been bringing in pollen, probably Dandelion, all through the winter with some to be seen each time it was warm enough for flights.

 

[Millet]

For all it was supposed to be a bad day it was not...the bees where bringing lots of pollen in and very busy..
The Hyacinths are early as are the Anemones..at one point I counted seven bees deep inside a Hyacinth..there is three on the second picture..i just hope all this early hard work does not get ruined by vile weather and cause problems later on..

 

[thomasalan1234]

Hi, I just thought I'd start up a thread on what's flowering as forage in your area. ( Locally)
Here in South Shropshire ( clee hill ) there's hazel, gorse, mahonia. There might be more but this is what's around my apairys.
All pollen sources.
Thanks mark.

Pollen sources are a busy or amazing life this time of year

 

[thomasalan1234]

Hi, I just thought I'd start up a thread on what's flowering as forage in your area. ( Locally)
Here in South Shropshire ( clee hill ) there's hazel, gorse, mahonia. There might be more but this is what's around my apairys.
All pollen sources.
Thanks mark.

Pollen sources are an amazing burst of life this time of year

 

[Curly green fingers]

Pollen sources are an amazing burst of life this time of year

They are what forage is around you Thomas

 

[Curly green fingers]

For all it was supposed to be a bad day it was not...the bees where bringing lots of pollen in and very busy..
The Hyacinths are early as are the Anemones..at one point I counted seven bees deep inside a Hyacinth..there is three on the second picture..i just hope all this early hard work does not get ruined by vile weather and cause problems later on..

Looks like your bee's have had a bit of sunshine it's been horrible here horizontal rain and hill fog now gales , no bee's flying here only a roof of one of the hives.

 

[Millet]

It has been cold and raining most of the day but now it has stopped the bees are out in force all over the Hyacinths..and no wonder they are filling the garden with a lovely aroma.

 

[Curly green fingers]

The wild cherry is flowering, lots of blackthorn out now , only some of the willow is out but still lots to flower , the weather looks a bit more stable next week hopefully for the bee's to get foraging .
All looks ok through the clear crown boards , we must be getting to the cross over point there seems to be more young bee's than old .

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I will be moving about thirty nucs to rape this next week, there is about forty five acre started flowering, way to early but might give the colony's a boost.
The other ninety acre is weeks away yet

 

[Curly green fingers]

I will be moving about thirty nucs to rape this next week, there is about forty five acre started flowering, way to early but might give the colony's a boost.
The other ninety acre is weeks away yet

Will you have a look through the nucs before you move them? I've got two at the osr double brood and six more brood/half to move but wanted to go through them first . 3/4 weeks before it flowers here .

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

I had a sneak look two weeks ago, most are six frames bees, did not remove frames to look at brood.