What's flowering as forage in your area

[Gilberdyke John]

That's Selfheal. No idea whether it's ok for horses, but I do know it's ok in moderation for tortoises (I think it's because it has tannins in it that they shouldn't eat huge amounts of it).

Thanks for the heads up. I've now looked it up and apparently it's Prunella Vulgaris, a creeping plant which was once regarded as a medicinal aid. Based on having too much of a good thing I'm going to try to combat most of it.

 

[Dorchop]

Hairy vetch
Vetch has been planted at work, fields and fields of it, I have 10 production colonys right on the edge of it and yesterday afternoon the bees are getting loaded with nectar from it, some of my double brood colonys in three days have backfilled the nest after extracting on Sunday.
The supers I put back on are almost capped again as well since Sunday what's going on bloody forage everywhere!!!
I didn't think honey bees foraged on vetch??
Looks like I'm extracting vetch honey wtf in the next few days.

I have vetch in my very wild garden
Bumble bees always love it but this is the first year I’ve seen my honey bees on it

 

[Nannysbees]

This purple flower is spreading throughout our house paddock. Anyone know what it is? I can't see any evidence of bees working it and if it creates any risk to the horses it'll be time for the Grazon to be applied.

Nightmare to get out of the lawn once it's there, spreads like mad

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nightmare to get out of the lawn once it's there, spreads like mad

Looks very pretty though. Stan mows round it

 

[Brenda]

For pollen, we have bushes of it here and its been flowering for a while now.

Honeybees love Broom and the resulting honey tastes gorgeous with a hint of the flower perfume. Enjoy!

 

[Brenda]

Cherry Laurel opening here. Huge bushes 50 yards from the apiary, some are 20’ high.

 

[Brenda]

Wonderful source for bees they also have secondary nectaries at the leaf axis.

 

[GuyNir]

Wonderful source for bees they also have secondary nectaries at the leaf axis.

And the scent is amazing!

 

[Erichalfbee]

And the scent is amazing!

Yes it certainly packs a nose punch doesn’t it ?

 

[rolande]

Wild privet

 

[Murox]

Everything is just so behind here, its catching up as are the bees but its late and its been unusually dry.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nightmare to get out of the lawn

why would you want to get rid of it?

 

[Brenda]

Everything is just so behind here, its catching up as are the bees but its late and its been unusually dry.
View attachment 27013
View attachment 27014
View attachment 27015

Very late up here too and very dry.

 

[GuyNir]

Everything is just so behind here, its catching up as are the bees but its late and its been unusually dry.
View attachment 27013
View attachment 27014
View attachment 27015

Same here. Need some rain (can’t believe I say this )

 

[Curly green finger's]

Same here. Need some rain (can’t believe I say this )

Raining tomorrow here and by the looks of it it's going to rain now, bugger!!!! I've been making frames like mad at home today because I need to add supers and hive up tomorrow or the next.
Got to get the washing in!

 

[Wilco]

Linden started yesterday. Today the sweet chestnut decided to go all guns blazing too! Shame I have to move the hives.

 

[hemo]

Looked at the forecast here in to next week, boy does is look carp. It looks like rain, rain and more rain, at this rate the summer crop is going to be a wash out.

 

[Ian123]

The sweet chestnut around me is just starting but fortunately most is still a week or so off, so maybe in time for the better weather.

 

[elainemary]

This purple flower is spreading throughout our house paddock. Anyone know what it is? I can't see any evidence of bees working it and if it creates any risk to the horses it'll be time for

 

[Brenda]

You won't be short of forage near to Findhorn then! Such lovely place, and the pretty gardens of the village add up to a tidy amount of nectar. Presumably the army/air force ranges provide a lot of wild flowers too? Like us in Nairnshire, do you also get a lot of Himalayan balsam later on?

Yes Balsam later if you are near burns.