What's flowering as forage in your area

  • Thread starter Curly green fingers
  • Start date
Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
The gaura has been a picture all year.the bees love it in early morning before the sun dries it up. Gives a good creamy pollen for this time of the year too. Self seeds and looks wonderful when allowed to flower en masse.IMG_20210926_102747~2.jpgIMG_20210926_102527.jpgIMG_20210926_102747~2.jpg
 
Ivy piling in
Raining and getting colder next week
Same every year 😂
Weigh your girls they will soon pack it away in four days.
I fed 150 bags of sugar to two apiarys over a week and they've stored and capped it.
Last year was better locally sept 6th the flow started and the weather was good.
Previous year was pants! and its later this year no two the same it would be easy if they were
 
Weigh your girls they will soon pack it away in four days.
I fed 150 bags of sugar to two apiarys over a week and they've stored and capped it.
Last year was better locally sept 6th the flow started and the weather was good.
Previous year was pants! and its later this year no two the same it would be easy if they were
That’s the plan. I use 2 litre rapids and they have all gone overnight.
 
Amaranthus? Giant purple?
Yes I'm sure you're right, thank you. A friend tells me there's a field near her full of multi-coloured amaranthus, grown for seed I suppose. You can buy the stuff (to eat) in Waitrose.
 
I’ve seen the obvious Ivy. But also Dandelions & Broom
Is that normal?
Dandelions will flower whenever there is enough warmth in the air - autumn is not peak dandelion months but if the soil is warm enough to germinate then a second, third or fourth crop is possible. I think they hold the record for the fastest growing weeds ! Personal experience !! Turn your back on the beggars and they are in flower, blink twice and the seeds are setting ....

Broom ? Are you sure it's broom ? - normally flowers May/June - but it is Gorse that will flower late into the year and they are very often found together and look very similar from a distance ...
 
At last - the bees are on the ivy! Though I would say the ivy is all but over - but I guess bees know something I don't. Just two days before rain forecast, ah well ...
 
There's a huge hedge of this plant on my walk to the station and the bees are all over it. Ignoring the ivy next to it in preference.IMG_20211019_082944.jpg
 
Our local (ie. in our own apiary) ivy has finally decided to flower whilst the temperature is just 8C. I saw a few flies on it and some drowsy wasps. A few bees are active at the hive entrance but I'm not sure they have found that ivy...it's a crop for the wild creatures.016.JPG018.JPG
 
Our local (ie. in our own apiary) ivy has finally decided to flower whilst the temperature is just 8C. I saw a few flies on it and some drowsy wasps. A few bees are active at the hive entrance but I'm not sure they have found that ivy...it's a crop for the wild creatures.View attachment 28976View attachment 28977

Have ivy bees reached you yet? Ivy in our garden was covered in them a month ago - at least I think they were IBs - they look so similar to Apis mellifera.
https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/bees-and-wasps/ivy-bee
 
Back
Top