What's flowering as forage in your area

[ericbeaumont]

Treasure! Good copy for a tenner of an essential forage book: Plants and Beekeeping by F. N. Howes (Hardback, 1979) | eBay

 

[Curly green finger's]

Treasure! Good copy for a tenner of an essential forage book: Plants and Beekeeping by F. N. Howes (Hardback, 1979) | eBay

Another book to buy.

Blackthorn is starting to burst and was busy yesterday 17c at Corley yesterday and the first supers have gone on.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Treasure! Good copy for a tenner of an essential forage book: Plants and Beekeeping by F. N. Howes (Hardback, 1979) | eBay

Got a first edition (1945) for two and a half quid in a bookshop closing down sale ten years ago

 

[Newbeeneil]

Just found this about 200m away from my main apiary. It's come from the Bird mix sowing done by my landlord last year. There is about 10 acres dotted around all within about 1/2 mile if the hives!

I've got the Bee mix to look forward to later in the year.

 

[Nannysbees]

Just found this about 200m away from my main apiary. It's come from the Bird mix sowing done by my landlord last year. There is about 10 acres dotted around all within about 1/2 mile if the hives!

I've got the Bee mix to look forward to later in the year. View attachment 25483

What a lovely landlord

 

[Newbeeneil]

What a lovely landlord

Yes I am lucky. I saw the contractors sowing this and the Bee mix this time last year but didn't appreciate that this was within the bird mix as it obviously didn't flower last year. I don't think it's rape, probably some kind of mustard but the girls don't seam to mind!
With a bit more warmth it could be buzzing!

 

[Murox]

Don't be surprised if the honey sets like OSR, looks like the same family.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Don't be surprised if the honey sets like OSR, looks like the same family.

It certainly is a brassica so the honey will be extracted as soon as the flowers go over.

 

[Swarm]

Driving home today, I noticed the entire hill behind our bees on the farm was glowing yellow. A couple of acres plastered with Dandelions, what a lovely sight.

Edit: Walked up there today and took some photos, I'll post some later, never seen so many Dandelions.

 

[Murox]

At last, its begun.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Driving home today, I noticed the entire hill behind our bees on the farm was glowing yellow. A couple of acres plastered with Dandelions, what a lovely sight.

Edit: Walked up there today and took some photos, I'll post some later, never seen so many Dandelions.

The dandelions are having a right show this year and the blackthorn, noticed alot of maple pollen on the inspection boards yesterday.

And the buggers down in the valley have found the osr which is know where to be seen locally.

 

[AndyTh]

Rape is in flower here in Worcestershire also pears, apples, currants, blackthorn, sycamore. Plums are finishing, horse chestnut about to open.

 

[holmbee]

Blackthorn and wild cherry re going over fast here. Bees are now on to pear, apple and from today on to field maple. Crab apple should be good in a day or so. More bumble bees around this year than I can remember in recent years.

 

[Swarm]

Approximately thirty acres, just two hundred yards as the bee flies, from the hives.

 

[Antipodes]

Approximately thirty acres, just two hundred yards as the bee flies, from the hives.

Amazing... Do you reckon you will get stinky honey from that?

 

[DaveG23]

Saw some bird cherry and sycamore coming in to flower about a mile away down where its lower and sheltered, no sign of my own sycamore flowering. The blackthorn can't have long left looking at them over the weekend. Still have to wait for the bramble before we can think about any kind of flow.

 

[Nannysbees]

Saw some bird cherry and sycamore coming in to flower about a mile away down where its lower and sheltered, no sign of my own sycamore flowering. The blackthorn can't have long left looking at them over the weekend. Still have to wait for the bramble before we can think about any kind of flow.

Our sycamore not in flower yet either

 

[Swarm]

Amazing... Do you reckon you will get stinky honey from that?

The smell is evident, they are bringing some in but low temps and a dry month means there has been no big flow. Pity.

 

[DaveG23]

Our sycamore not in flower yet either

The younger sycamore in my garden are in leaf, the older (wiser?) Have no leaves yet, they are used to the cold snap we get first few weeks of may, perhaps giving themselves a greater chance of not getting burned by the return of wintery weather heralded by the arriving cuckoo. Most years either the leaves or the flowers are burned away, even the hawthorn can take an awful battering.

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/...s-price-of-the-cuckoos-misdeeds-31109871.html

 

[enrico]

Alot of the blossom going over here. Cherry, blackthorne, dandelion all gone but pair in full flower and apple is just coming into its own. We rely on the walnut to tell us when frost's are over. It never puts leaf out until the last frost has gone.....well that's what we say anyway and the leaves are still tight.