What's flowering as forage in your area

[Erichalfbee]

I always wonder why bees choose some flowers over others even when they are in full bloom. I have mint that is covered with blossoms, and I watched the bees yesterday flit all over it, but move on? Will someone tell me the reason why?

Better pickings elsewhere
If the bees investigated but moved on then there’s no nectar there

 

[Garry R]

I have a 10mete row of lavender with plenty of flowers. On the left there is a deep blue/purple but on the right there is a paler variety. The left hand side is covered in bumble bees but no honey bees. The right hand side is similar for bumble bees but plenty of honey bees too. Different varieties I guess.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Collecting pollen from the hog weed
No sign of Bonking Beetles this year

 

[Wilco]

I always wonder why bees choose some flowers over others even when they are in full bloom. I have mint that is covered with blossoms, and I watched the bees yesterday flit all over it, but move on? Will someone tell me the reason why?

I suspect different plants yield at different times of day, plus each has a different nectar yield per flower and refills with nectar at different rates. Today at lunch at the in-laws, bees were all over the corn marigolds. At 16:00 there wasn't a single bee visiting but they were all over the passionflower with multiple bees per bloom.

Also worth noting that different plants' pollen contains different amino acid balances so bees may be selective as to which pollen they collect and when.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I suspect different plants yield at different times of day

When bees are on the holly here they go madly at it in the morning and by lunchtime the flowers I suspect are empty. The following morning they are back.
The lavender buzzes all day when the sun shines

 

[Moobee]

Lucky to have some good gardeners locally, so a variety of plants for the bees to choose from. Asters are blooming and they’re still on the mint, persicaria and verbena in our garden. Tansy now flowering as well.
Happy to see that echiums have finally decided to germinate in the main flower bed. Planted one two years ago and nothing reappeared but have noticed several plants springing up. All in the wrong place though so I’ll have to move them towards the back of the border in the autumn.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Borage is slow this year: on 17 July bees were filling supers heavily - the sort where combs are full and flat, and honey leaks from comb between boxes - yet at that time an average of only 5 flowers out of 135 buds per stem were open.

Seemed like a tsunami of nectar was imminent, but yesterday there wasn't much change in the flowering, and I reckon the drought has stalled it.



The plant originates in Syria so should be used to heat, but evidently it's had too much. When (or if) it re-starts it could lead to the slowest borage flow of all time.

Next time I'm up at Epping I'll drive over, knock on a farmhouse door and find out more.

 

[BoStor]

Rotovated this rough lawn in Spring and now wild flower meadow is underway.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Ling heather is flowering a little early on the moor on Saturday
Lots to come out yet bees were collecting nectar and pollen not loads yet but it’s all to play for yet.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Finally - the Evodia is in flower.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Finally - the Evodia is in flower.

Lovely having some forage this late. I have Eucryphia on its way and my version of a Bee tree which is Aralia spinosa, the devil’s walking stick.

 

[magor]

Finally - the Evodia is in flower.

she has wonderfull name also

 

[Gilberdyke John]

T

she has wonderfull name also

The Bee Bee tree Evodia Hupehensis is it's Sunday name. I've also got an extensive array of Coralberry just coming on stream and ñext door has a barn completely covered in ivy. I just hope they have had enough water this summer to yield a good supply of nectar.

 

[Newbeeneil]

My bees are all ghosts at the moment. HB in full bloom.

 

[StephenT]

The bees from one hive tonight were coming back like half of them had a painted white dot on their thorax. HB I assume but never seen evidence of them foraging on it in the past. Nearest rivers are about 1.5 miles away but a couple of small lakes closer.

 

[StephenT]

My bees are all ghosts at the moment. HB in full bloom.

Mine aren’t coming back like ghosts as it’s a very defined mark just on the thorax. Does that look like HB?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Mine aren’t coming back like ghosts as it’s a very defined mark just on the thorax. Does that look like HB?

Yeah that's it!

 

[Nannysbees]

We have a huge tree at the bottom of our garden, on next doors property which is covered in dense ivy. The neighbour came over to say the tree had died, and because of the weight of the ivy, the tree had snapped, was leaning on our shed and would have to be removed, I did ask could he leave it until autumn because of our bees, obviously a priority over our safety But out it has to come ASAP. So disappointed as its usually covered in our bees and all sorts of other pollinators.

 

[The Poot]

We have a huge tree at the bottom of our garden, on next doors property which is covered in dense ivy. The neighbour came over to say the tree had died, and because of the weight of the ivy, the tree had snapped, was leaning on our shed and would have to be removed, I did ask could he leave it until autumn because of our bees, obviously a priority over our safety But out it has to come ASAP. So disappointed as its usually covered in our bees and all sorts of other pollinators.

Emojis are sometimes insufficient. I need one to laugh at your safety comment and one for sadness at the loss of the ivy!

 

[Moobee]

Tamarisk trees are all flowering locally. Good source for my bees as it always ranks highly in my honey samples sent to NHMS. Mallow is flowering well along with erigeron and verbena.