Buckwheat

[Nock]

So I thought bees loved buckwheat. I got two fields of and not a bee on in it. Now I?ve only checked it in the evening maybe they are using it early. There still is white clover blooming. And sumac is as well. Maybe they prefer it better. Anyone else had any experience with buckwheat?

[AR Beekeeper]

When I planted buckwheat the bees would only work it in the mornings, I can't remember ever seeing them work the flowers after 12 noon.  If there are other sources of nectar usually the bees will work the source that is producing the most.

[Nock]

Interesting. I was wondering that. I?ll check it this weekend in the morning. Thanks.

[cao]

I agree.  Bees like to work buckwheat before noon usually before 10:00 in my experience.

[Dabbler]

Some googling yielded:
The flower, which opens in the morning around 8 a.m., has eight yellow nectaries alternating with the eight filaments at the base of the ovary, bound together by a cushionlike swelling (Knuth 1909*, pp. 341 - 342). The flower (fig. 56) secretes nectar in copious amounts, but only in the morning hours, during which time it is highly attractive to bees (Phillips and Demuth 1922). Toward noon, the flow lessens, and during the afternoon honey bees usually abandon the plants. Pollen is also collected by honey bees from buckwheat.
https://www.apiservices.biz/htm/pollination_handbook/buckwheat00000000037A9644.html

Which tends to confirm what others have commented on.

[JurassicApiary]

Some googling yielded:
The flower, which opens in the morning around 8 a.m., has eight yellow nectaries alternating with the eight filaments at the base of the ovary, bound together by a cushionlike swelling (Knuth 1909*, pp. 341 - 342). The flower (fig. 56) secretes nectar in copious amounts, but only in the morning hours, during which time it is highly attractive to bees (Phillips and Demuth 1922). Toward noon, the flow lessens, and during the afternoon honey bees usually abandon the plants. Pollen is also collected by honey bees from buckwheat.
https://www.apiservices.biz/htm/pollination_handbook/buckwheat00000000037A9644.html

Which tends to confirm what others have commented on.

Thanks for posting this info. That explains why they only forage on Buckwheat early in the day. Neat stuff.


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[Nock]

That?s very good info. I did notice the smell it was talking about. Thanks

[Nock]

Yep y?all were right. Bees were busy this morning.