What's flowering as forage in your area

[jenkinsbrynmair]

flow definitely slowing down, had the same story from a few beeks from various parts of the country this afternoon.
It's always telling when observing the super stores shelter, when there's not much/no flow on the bees are always in there trying to get at the wet supers. Over the last few weeks the bees have totally ignored the stacks, in fact, one day as I was going out on my rounds I knocked an unstrapped board off the top of the stack, was out for six hours, and when I came back, not a bee in the supers.
Yesterday morning I forgot to replace a board when taking a few shallows with me when checking an apiary for show exhibits, within five minutes there was a cloud of bees in there taking an interest

 

[pargyle]

Bees all over the loostrife in the
Wildlife pond today....

 

[enrico]

within five minutes there was a loud of bees in there taking an interest

Love that! Maybe that is what we should call bees that are not a swarm. A loud of bees!!!

 

[Newbeeneil]

I love walking past the poppies on the way to let the chickens out. The noise that the bumbles make always makes me smile.


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[Dutchman]

Can't believe it, temperature nearly half of what it was earlier in the week, clouds and hazy sunshine and yet they are still piling it in. Privet! and rose-bay willow herb, I think.

 

[JamezF]

Can't believe it, temperature nearly half of what it was earlier in the week

Depending on which scale you use

James

 

[elainemary]

Moor above our home apiary is showing flowers on the heather now (first 2 photos). The site I plan to move a couple of colonies to, is still in tight bud (last 2 photos), at least a week or two away from opening I’d say. This site is another 150ft higher up (1300ft). Weather warming again from Thursday to low 20s, so must do final preps this coming week, to get match fit
In the meantime, the area is bright pink with willow herb and lots of green-blue pollen coming in.

 

[W0otz]

I think it's safe to say the bramble's over. There's the odd late flower still around on it but it's mostly jam time.


Bees are now foraging for whatever's in gardens I think. Caryopteris is just out in my garden and the bees love that, and the Coralberry/Indian Currant is alive with bees and the odd wasp.

 

[JamezF]

Our brambles are pretty much over now, but there's no sign of ripe fruit as yet. Not even on the blackberries, which flowered a couple of weeks earlier, though in their case I think we'll have some very soon.

James

 

[Antipodes]

Our brambles are pretty much over now, but there's no sign of ripe fruit as yet. Not even on the blackberries, which flowered a couple of weeks earlier, though in their case I think we'll have some very soon.

James

I've wondered for a while, so this is a good opportunity to ask. What is the difference between a bramble and a blackberry?

 

[drex]

None

 

[JamezF]

I've wondered for a while, so this is a good opportunity to ask. What is the difference between a bramble and a blackberry?

Very little, in all probability. To my way of thinking, a blackberry is the cultivated form of a bramble, which is wild. So we get cultivars of blackberry bred for larger fruit, earlier ripening or to be thornless, whereas brambles are just whatever grows in the hedgerow.

James

 

[philipm]

Seems to be two types of wild Blackberry with us the first flowering have white flowers and the second which blooms a bit later have pink flowers they are just starting to finish flowering now .Both taste the same and are good in Apple and Blackberry crumble.

 

[Wilco]

I've wondered for a while, so this is a good opportunity to ask. What is the difference between a bramble and a blackberry?

There are actually several different subspecies. Bramble and blackberry tend to be used interchangeably. The different species have slightly different flowering patterns and timing, thorn size and density and the leaves differ in colour, spacing and shape. The fruit also varies between varieties.

 

[pargyle]

None

I have thornless blackberry cultivars that produce lovely big fruit ... I've also got a wild bramble in the front hedge that grows like a bloody triffid ... it also produces lovely big fruit ... the only difference I can see is the amount of blood on my hands when it comes to picking time !

 

[W0otz]

the only difference I can see is the amount of blood on my hands when it comes to picking time !

It adds a lovely saltiness to the jam though.

 

[Erichalfbee]

According to some sources there are over 300 species of Bramble in the U.K.

 

[RJC]

According to some sources there are over 300 species of Bramble in the U.K.

There are, and someone who studies them is a batologist.

 

[Erichalfbee]

There are, and someone who studies them is a batologist.

Amazing how specialised ologists can be. Thankyou

 

[JamezF]

On the way home from swimming just now I became aware of a field of bright yellow flowers behind a new housing development on the edge of Wiveliscombe. I was wondering if it might be some summer brassica that was flowering, so took a detour through the development to have a look.

Turns out that it's quite a few acres of ragwort. I guess the developers did some groundwork on the site and since then it's been left until they're ready to build, the disturbed bare soil providing an ideal site for the ragwort to grow.

It's certainly near enough to one of my apiaries for my bees to visit, possibly two. Shouldn't imagine they'll have much choice really. There seems to be very little else in flower at the moment.

James