What's flowering as forage in your area

  • Thread starter Curly green fingers
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Bees still piling the ivy in, also got a lot of fuchsia and saint Johns Wart on allotment dahlia just coming to the end now, Mahonia just starting
Do you have a picture of the Mahonia? Is it a specific variety?
 
A couple of mahonia - “charity” and another I can’t recall the name of.
Ivy still of some use, though largely gone over, but bees still on it and taking in pollen.
Also an old woody overgrown viburnum of some ilk. Not sure if it’s of use to honeybees though. The scent is very heady over a very large area. Probably of use to moths I would think.
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A couple of mahonia - “charity” and another I can’t recall the name of.
Ivy still of some use, though largely gone over, but bees still on it and taking in pollen.
Also an old woody overgrown viburnum of some ilk. Not sure if it’s of use to honeybees though. The scent is very heady over a very large area. Probably of use to moths I would think.
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From the look of those leaves I'd say that's V. bodnantense, if it is it should flower on and off from October to April.
 
From the look of those leaves I'd say that's V. bodnantense, if it is it should flower on and off from October to April.
Hi Murox,
It does flower like that, so you’re probably right👍 I’ll look it up and see when it’s best to give it a severe pruning.
 
Bees incredibly busy and bringing in lots of pollen. Never seen such activity before in November. Ivy in woodland but not identified.
 
My honey bees are still very active bringing in ivy polle. The mahonia is in flower bur only of interest to bumble not honey bees.
 
Just back from a trip to Devon. Spotted a few hives with bees flying bringing in white pollen, presume ivy, surprised just how much flowering ivy there is in the south west compared to home, must be a real boost to colonies. None within easy flying distance from my home apiary.

Visited Quince honey farm - wondered whether the owner (s) are on this Forum? Great job promoting and supporting pollinators, not seen anything quite like it with gardens, visitor centre and educational info plus a Thorne shop. Picked up a leaflet with their research on the best plants for pollinators and nectar production which I thought you’d find of interest. Similar to NHMS findings.

Also visited Ken and Dan Basterfield’s set up and had a tour round their facility. What great people and soooo knowledgeable. Attended one of their courses the week before, reinforced I’m doing the right things re swarm control & prevention. Enjoyed meeting Devon and Cornish beekeepers. I could live down here, though it would be a wrench from
my beloved Yorkshire. It would be hard to trade heather honey for oil seed rape in certain areas!
 

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