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Author Topic: What's flowering: Queensland  (Read 144386 times)

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #320 on: July 11, 2019, 06:32:21 pm »
Our caliandra seems to flower pretty well all the time. The same with Cobblers pegs.
I left some cattle feed out ( mostly bran) and noticed the bees going for it. I guess they think of it as pollen.

There seem to be a lot of bees taking water too. I wonder if some of the honey in the hives has crystalised?

We are having perfect, very mild days - around 25C and there is a lot of activity around the hives.

The mornings are chilly indeed.

Offline eltalia

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #321 on: July 11, 2019, 09:35:32 pm »
Rubbish at picture taking, guys 'n gals, I attach the best of hundreds taken of
two of our caleandras. Dunno about flowering frequency as we always trim
 them back (hard) after these flower events - after cutting them at ground level
on moving in here. Took them back from maybe 5metres wide to just 1.5metres
and don't intend letting them get that huge again. Nice plant but a harbour for
nasties when let go rank.
And Max, I've known blokes to put out "poddy feed" for bees. It is like super
malted milk powder. Never done it myself as it doesn't fit/sit right for us.

[later]
I was trying to show in shots there is absolutey no pollen benefit for bees
in these flowers, diddun work out so well. So, the narrative goes like, whilst
they do swamp them it seems only a few of the actual ovum deliver nectar.
Some evidence says the massive display is their way of attraction as not
every ovum produces seed pod. In fact whole flower heads are unpopulated
 with a single pod.
In short, a Claytons crop... but when one is as short as we are right now for
forage "beggars carn't be choosers" applies. Heh

Cheers...
Bill

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« Last Edit: July 11, 2019, 09:46:36 pm by eltalia »

Offline CoolBees

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #322 on: July 12, 2019, 02:04:16 am »
I'm sorry - I have to interject here - etalia  (bill): your posts are great! ... don't take this "wrong" ... they are just "great". Fwiw.
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

Offline eltalia

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #323 on: July 12, 2019, 05:50:50 am »
I'm sorry - I have to interject here - etalia  (bill): your posts are great! ... don't take this "wrong" ... they are just "great". Fwiw.
Heh... getting over the blushing fit I have to tell you
right now elsewhere I got me a posse after my neck
in a rope (metaphorical)!!
Pleasing as it is you yourself get value in a read, I remain
humble enough to understand the struggle some endure
in absorbing new concepts.
Yet we all must -  at times - soooo I adopt "what is good for
the Goose goes likewise for the Ganders."... served(I)well so
far in adapting to new stuff what works.
/waves/

One photo would not load to my earlier post. I reckon I've
fixed that and so attach it now. It is another caleandra, this
one with a pink varigated hibiscus as companion plant.
Both in flower.

Cheers...

Bill

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Offline Bee North

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #324 on: July 14, 2019, 05:52:13 pm »
Thanks Bill
I too enjoy reading your posts. Always interesting and making sense to me especially regarding location location.
Actually thanks to the three main contributors here for your efforts including Mark and Max, im always interested and learning and i dont think you guys get enough praise for answering questions and educating....well done CoolBees!

Sooooo.

Cadaghi my new best friend
 A lot of them are in flower and the girls as you say are happy. They are starting late due to 4 bee eaters, but flying hard by 10am till late.
One hive had 7 frames of bees two weeks ago and yesterday....packed box with burr comb on top!! Now a super. So pleasing to the eye.

Adam

Offline eltalia

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #325 on: July 15, 2019, 07:17:49 pm »
tttt to ffh phhar  'kun   c  o   l   d    tt to   tyyyyy   p  e,  thi  ssss  morn.
13celcius an the fire is out!

Bbbbb I lll

Offline CoolBees

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #326 on: July 15, 2019, 07:32:44 pm »
tttt to ffh phhar  'kun   c  o   l   d    tt to   tyyyyy   p  e,  thi  ssss  morn.
13celcius an the fire is out!

Bbbbb I lll

Hahahahahahahahahaha! I love them days!!! Hahahahaha!
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

Offline eltalia

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #327 on: July 17, 2019, 12:08:34 am »
'Spoke' too early CB... she dropped to just a little over10Celcius as the
dawn broke, as is the way of it. Back up to 20C by 10:AM.
Today was forecast lower, but again as is the way of it she stayed
around the 15C mark... so hopefully that is Winter done and dusted
for us. Heh
There is some news on our "Snow in Summer" plantings, with some
budding up, I think. A bit early in the year so I hesitate to call it
until the floral part erupts. Some may recall this is the first of
our mass plantings designed wholly for bees - 50 of those linked to - and
not intended for FNQ as such but hopefully suits our microenvironment.
Budding (now) does appear to be out of sync with the label..!
https://austplants.com.au/Melaleuca-alternifolia-Snow-in-Summer

/fingers xrsd/

Bill

Offline Bamboo

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #328 on: July 17, 2019, 04:44:59 am »
10C.....mate you need to harden up 5 here this morning and I am sure Max would have been colder.  :smile:

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #329 on: July 17, 2019, 08:25:55 am »
Yes, 1 C at the hives...but warmed up to 25C. If it cooles down I will change into longs.

Would you believe I could smell honey coming in today!

Offline CoolBees

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #330 on: July 17, 2019, 06:26:06 pm »
'Talia - beautiful flowers. Would love to have some of those here.

Enjoy the cold for me pls - I was raised in deep snow - I live in sunshine yr rnd now. Warmth has its perks - but a snow cave has its place ...  :cheesy: ... cold mornings, when the fires out, and ya can't decide which you need to do more - answer nature, or get warm- all while tap-dancing ... ahh good memories.  :cool:
You cannot permanently help men by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves - Abraham Lincoln

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #331 on: July 17, 2019, 06:34:28 pm »
CoolBees - I was born in central Switzerland.
Having to go to school through deep snow, collecting fire wood with freezing fingers, not seeing the sun for weeks...yes, wonderful memories.
 :rolleyes:

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #332 on: July 18, 2019, 06:45:46 pm »
I hear that the Mac Nuts are in full bloom N of Gympie - great honey!

Offline Bee North

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #333 on: July 18, 2019, 08:23:54 pm »
Makes sense Max...mine is in flower. I only have one though.

Adam

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #334 on: July 22, 2019, 07:42:24 pm »
Peaches and Nectarones are out. This my sound like there is a good crop ahead BUT the Peaches are sown by birds and are along the river. Looks nice but the fruit fly will get the lot in a few months time. I used to go and cut them out but I have given up.
We are expecting 27C over the next few days and I need to open a few hives soon to see how they are progressing.
The smell of honey is in the air....

Offline eltalia

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #335 on: July 24, 2019, 08:29:34 pm »
Paperbarks/teatrees have exploded, umbrella trees are having a go and the calleandra is still going strong!
Avacados and lychee are still a week or so away with the mango maybe going to beat them. All topsy turvy
buuut there it is! Bees don't care.
White wax is popping up on bars and the smell at dusk divine - so excited I'll try for a photo!

Cheers...

Bill

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #336 on: July 28, 2019, 01:53:46 am »
" White wax is popping up on bars and the smell at dusk divine"

Indeed!

The weather was perfect and I had some help so we cleaned up the hives were the bees had built comb into the lid.

It is a messy job and difficult not to kill some bees.

I don't actually clean-up the space between the inner lid and the lid. I leave this for the bees. They will eventually eat it or move it into frames.

I just clean-up the space between the inner lid and the top of the frames. It makes working the hives much quicker later when I want to make splits.

I also take 2 or 4 frames out with capped honey. These are just about always frames 1/2 or 9/10. We run 10 FD frames - old habit and it works for us.

This will give the queen space to lay eggs ( and they have started ) There is nothing worse then having all these flowers out - plenty of pollen and nectar and the hives are honey bound.

We still have more than a month of winter but it very much felt like Spring yesterday - it was 29C!

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #337 on: July 30, 2019, 02:25:43 pm »
A few Ironbarks flowering in the valley.

The Blue Gum which did so well last year is very spotty - as has to be expected after such a good season.

I will be going up to Gympie tomorrow and will see what is flowering on the way.

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #338 on: August 01, 2019, 06:32:40 pm »
The beekeeper I was visiting is busy pulling Mac Honey. He has already made some splits - incredibly early.

From his place I could see the Tallowood flowering and the Ironbark along the way are out as well.

It has been much to warm here for July.

We had a good shower last night. It will freshen up some of the groundflora

Offline max2

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Re: What's flowering: Queensland
« Reply #339 on: August 04, 2019, 06:41:28 pm »
I checked on some hives yesterday.
There is some drone brood but no Q cells yet. More honey coming in and with this warm winter these hives will start putting on honey soon.

The Tallow Wood is flowering heavy here. Magnificent to look at in the late afternoon sun.

 

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