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Offline BeeMaster2

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Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« on: March 18, 2021, 09:21:22 am »
Clover is in full bloom and there are no bees  of any kind on it. The yard smells of heavy clover. I thought that the smell would come from the nectar.
What going on?
Jim Altmiller


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Offline Hops Brewster

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2021, 10:35:33 am »
Something more attractive in bloom in the neighborhood?  In the trees perhaps.
Winter is coming.

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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2021, 12:01:42 pm »
Something more attractive in bloom in the neighborhood?  In the trees perhaps.

Most likely. Nice stand of clover 🍀 Jim
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Offline Brian MCquilkin

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2021, 01:03:27 pm »
Clover is in full bloom and there are no bees  of any kind on it. The yard smells of heavy clover. I thought that the smell would come from the nectar.
What going on?
Jim Altmiller


Seen this often when the bees are working on something else, they will move on to the clover after they have finished.
Also seen them work clover at different times of the day, some times in the morning or later in the day. Just because we can see it or smell it doesn't mean it's producing nectar
Despite my efforts the bees are doing great

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2021, 06:18:25 pm »
What is really surprising to me is that there are no pollinators on it, not just honey bees.
Jim Altmiller
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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2021, 09:13:28 pm »
Last year I noticed that it was a week or two after the clover started blooming before I saw honeybees working it.  I usually only mow part of my lawn each week to allow some of the clover to be in full bloom all the time. 

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2021, 09:17:16 pm »
Cap,
This is the first full week in full bloom so we will see.
We don?t cut the grass until the grass gets pretty high and my wife can?t stand it. Then we cut it and feed it to the cows.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline TheHoneyPump

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2021, 02:46:56 am »
What time of the day were you looking through the clover?  Clover does not begin to yield until mid afternoon with some heat.  It also needs cool damp evenings to draw enough moisture.  It is a very high yielding plant which the bees go absolutely bonkers over.  But ... not until later in the day.

A possibility is if it has been sprayed or rolled with herbicide/pesticide. The smell of chems tends to keep the bees away.

When the lid goes back on, the bees will spend the next 3 days undoing most of what the beekeeper just did to them.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2021, 08:46:13 am »
Not sure what happens down here but up north if you mow it (and feed to the cows) it will flower closer to the ground.  Might make Judy happier.
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2021, 09:35:18 am »
THP,
Thanks for the information. Nice field of clover. This is in our yard so there is definitely no pesticides or herbicides.
We have had warm afternoons and cool nights but still no bees.
I?m used to hearing a loud buzz when they use it. Two days ago my bee boxes that are outside under the barn were all buzzing with bees but nothing on the clover.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline Bill Murray

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2021, 10:25:34 pm »
Jim, you have huge amounts nectar coming in?

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2021, 06:40:01 am »
Not yet, I?m still feeding them.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2021, 05:04:50 pm »
Not yet, I?m still feeding them.
Jim Altmiller

Your feeding, in Florida, in late March?  This sounds odd to me, but what do I know?  BTW, why feed when clover is blooming?

Jim, my bees are loaded with pollen or nectar and I am N Arkansas.  There is so much blooming in my area the bees take the favorite flower, as many texted above.  HP is correct, flowers are specific to time intervals regarding nectar and pollen production: some flowers max in AM, some PM and the bees know the correct time.

Nice plush green yard, Jim.

HP, your clover field is the envy of my eye.  What more could a beek want?

Best to all.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2021, 09:47:28 pm »
Van,
I live in Osceola National Forest. It was and is a pine tree tree farm. For the most part it is Pine Trees, Gallberries, Palmetto, and in the swamps Black Gum. Other than that it is pretty sterile. Our ag center/Environmentalists are even pushing to get native pines replanted because most of the pines are Slash Pines. They are not native. The few other flowers that grow here, for the most part the bees do not visit. After June, my bees are living on stored honey mostly.
Jim Altmiller 
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Offline Lkbee

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #14 on: March 23, 2021, 06:53:46 am »
Have you found the reason? :shocked:

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2021, 09:21:43 am »
Not really and the bees and pollinators still are not using my clover.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #16 on: March 23, 2021, 09:38:51 am »
Jim are your pastures covered in clover 🍀 also?
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline guitarstitch

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #17 on: March 23, 2021, 12:21:21 pm »
Temperatures have been pretty cool, but should start warming up today and throughout next week.  Check your clover around noon today.

It's ironic that you made this post.  My fianc? was struggling to understand why I was so giddy seeing a few white buds of clover popping up on our property, then I described the massive clover patches you have going on in your yard and how you actually cultivate what many consider a weed.
-Matthew Pence/Stitch

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #18 on: March 23, 2021, 09:46:56 pm »
Van,
I live in Osceola National Forest. It was and is a pine tree tree farm. For the most part it is Pine Trees, Gallberries, Palmetto, and in the swamps Black Gum. Other than that it is pretty sterile. Our ag center/Environmentalists are even pushing to get native pines replanted because most of the pines are Slash Pines. They are not native. The few other flowers that grow here, for the most part the bees do not visit. After June, my bees are living on stored honey mostly.
Jim Altmiller

Ok, now I understand, about feeding in March in Florida  thank you Jim.  Now, back to the clover void of pollinators???

Van
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #19 on: March 23, 2021, 11:49:43 pm »
Jim are your pastures covered in clover 🍀 also?
No, I planted a lot of clover several years ago in several fields and most of it did not grow. I planted a lot of clover in my yard and now it is starting to spread to the fields. My wife feeds lawn clippings to the cows and they plant it in the fields. They also eat it to the ground.
Jim Altmiller
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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #20 on: March 23, 2021, 11:54:10 pm »
Update, bees are starting to visit the clover. Not in large numbers but they started using it.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline Oldbeavo

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #21 on: March 24, 2021, 06:12:06 am »
Has the temperature risen?
We have white clover down here but is at its best as Spring warms up, October here, April for you??

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #22 on: March 24, 2021, 07:53:05 am »
Oldbeavo,
Yes it has but then it dips back down again. Last week it was warm, Sunday, the highs were in the low 50s all day and then we were in the 80s Monday and Tuesday.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline FloridaGardener

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #23 on: March 24, 2021, 09:32:38 pm »
Is there anywhere you can plant Carolina Laurel? It's native everywhere in the Southeast.  It needs no water. In fact, it's a little invasive where there IS irrigation.

It'll flower after two years, and grow 20-25 ft high in 4 years into a multi-trunked tree-shrub. 
It's covered with flowers just after red maple.  Absolutely dependable.  Birds eat its berries, and it self-sows.  Little disease on leaves.  Perfect for farmland.

We get a massive flow from it.  That's the flow that causes swarms right now.  I picked up swarms on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday this week. One was mine, where I missed finding QCs.  But I caught the swarm, and moved it 5 miles.


Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #24 on: March 25, 2021, 12:22:59 am »
Along with what was suggested above, there are other things that you can plant that produce much nectar. One for instance is Brazilian Pepper.  From the information I have gotten from a fellow in Florida, this is a major (big) additive for flow, Plus he says This plant makes an excellent honey. You might want to check into this and see if it meets your hopes? I looked this plant up and it does very well all the way up past St Johns, over to  Santa Rosa. I would think it would do well in your area. You might consider planting it in intervals along your fence line area? This way it would not really take up much of your pasture area? There are probably many other plants that will give you a greatly need boost in your area..... Just food for thought.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #25 on: March 25, 2021, 06:43:23 am »
Phillip,
Brizilloian Pepper is a highly invasive non native plant. Florida has been fighting to eradicate it for decades. We definitely do not want to be planting it here in florida.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #26 on: March 25, 2021, 07:01:29 am »
Oh well. So much for that.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #27 on: March 25, 2021, 08:22:53 am »
Phillip,
Brizilloian Pepper is a highly invasive non native plant. Florida has been fighting to eradicate it for decades. We definitely do not want to be planting it here in florida.
Jim Altmiller
I spent a week cutting it down and pulling the stumps out a fence line.  No way to get it all.
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #28 on: March 25, 2021, 08:49:25 am »
Phillip,
Brizilloian Pepper is a highly invasive non native plant. Florida has been fighting to eradicate it for decades. We definitely do not want to be planting it here in florida.
Jim Altmiller
I spent a week cutting it down and pulling the stumps out a fence line.  No way to get it all.

Spectracide when not in bloom will do it.
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Acebird

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #29 on: March 25, 2021, 05:50:36 pm »
For a 50 ft tree?
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #30 on: March 25, 2021, 06:02:43 pm »
For a 50 ft tree?

Up until now I did not know very much abort Brazilian Pepper except what the Florida Beekeeper said about good for bees. I just looked up a couple sites and:  Found in both shrub and tree form, it can often reach heights of greater than 30 feet.  So if in shrub form it should be easy to contain with Spectracide? Each to his own choices. I was trying to help since Jim seems to be in a bad spot when it comes to flow. I withdraw the recommendation regardless of nectar.😊
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #31 on: March 25, 2021, 06:16:22 pm »
Phillip,
The only reason we don?t have Brazilian Pepper here is that our winters are to cold. Otherwise we would have tons of it.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline Ben Framed

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #32 on: March 25, 2021, 06:19:05 pm »
Phillip,
The only reason we don?t have Brazilian Pepper here is that our winters are to cold. Otherwise we would have tons of it.
Jim Altmiller

Have you done much investigating of other plants that may be of great help in your area? If so what did you find?
« Last Edit: March 25, 2021, 06:35:04 pm by Ben Framed »
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline van from Arkansas

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #33 on: March 25, 2021, 07:00:15 pm »
Spiraea is a great bush for bees, drought resistant and solid bloom in Spring.  A bit off subject, hope you don?t mind Mr. Jim.
I have been around bees a long time, since birth.  I am a hobbyist so my answers often reflect this fact.  I concentrate on genetics, raise my own queens by wet graft, nicot, with natural or II breeding.  I do not sell queens, I will give queens  for free but no shipping.

Offline FloridaGardener

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #34 on: March 25, 2021, 07:48:18 pm »
I second that motion on spirea.  Bridal wreath spirea is absolutely gorgeous and fragrant too.  Can take the acidic soils of pinelands.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp558
 

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp558

Needs space -
Height: 4 to 8 feet
Spread: 4 to 8 feet

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #35 on: March 25, 2021, 08:42:52 pm »
We have planted a lot of fruit trees over the years, very few have survived. Most of our property is used for grazing. We have to bee careful about what we plant. Many plants are poisonous to cows and horses. I had to bush hog 37 acres to kill a lot of rattlebox, I just fenced in last year, and wait for it to die before I could let the cows on it. I was letting it grow for the bees until I found out that it was poisonous to animals. They will definitely eat it and in 30 days of eating it they will die. Most trees planted in the fields never make it because the cows and horses eat them.
Jim Altmiller
« Last Edit: March 26, 2021, 10:24:51 am by sawdstmakr »
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Offline Acebird

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #36 on: March 26, 2021, 08:26:27 am »
For a 50 ft tree?

Up until now I did not know very much abort Brazilian Pepper except what the Florida Beekeeper said about good for bees.
Southern FL is a different world.  The only thing close to it in the US is Hawaii.  And like Hawaii it has a lot of invasive species that are not natural to the landscape.  Pretty much the best you can do is contain it.  You will never eradicate it.
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Offline Bill Murray

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #37 on: March 30, 2021, 10:46:55 am »
Jim, try Wisteria it provides good forage for your bees, grows well and easily maintained. mine is alive with swarms of bees every year. The 1st bloom is just about over. depending on weather conditions,  some years it blooms twice although not as hard the second round.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #38 on: March 30, 2021, 12:24:20 pm »
Bill,
Yesterday I found several wisteria bushes in bloom on the property that I just added last month.
Jim Altmiller
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Offline Bill Murray

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #39 on: March 30, 2021, 05:11:58 pm »
Jim, Something else I planted were wild oranges, completely inedible. I know that sounds weird but they do well with the frost, bloom every year, dont look to bad in the front lawn, and the day buds start to knot is the day I put bait supers on. The only downfall is the cleanup of the fruit when it drops.

Offline jtcmedic

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #40 on: March 30, 2021, 05:50:49 pm »
Jim, try Wisteria it provides good forage for your bees, grows well and easily maintained. mine is alive with swarms of bees every year. The 1st bloom is just about over. depending on weather conditions,  some years it blooms twice although not as hard the second round.
my wife loves our wisteria but I never see bees on it just the bumble hit it a lot

Offline rothbart

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #41 on: April 07, 2021, 07:59:39 pm »
Clover is in full bloom and there are no bees  of any kind on it. The yard smells of heavy clover. I thought that the smell would come from the nectar.
What going on?

From book Honey Farming by R.O.B. Manley

"About mid-June the White Clover will begin to yield nectar when the weather
is suitable, but this plant, though about the most important of all honey
yielders when the weather suits it, is not as reliable a source as one could
wish. In really hot weather when there is some moisture in the soil, I have
known honey to come pouring in from the White Clover in almost unbelievable
quantities. I have known a good colony store over 100 lbs. in a week?and I
have seen thousands of acres of pasture literally white with it and never a
bee so much as looking at it."

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Clover in full bloom, not one bee
« Reply #42 on: April 07, 2021, 10:51:13 pm »
Rothbart,
That sounds like what is going on here.
Jim Altmiller
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

 

anything