Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: buzzbee on January 03, 2016, 11:57:29 am
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It is once again time to start a new follow the bloom thread.. Hope all blooms come early ,produce heavily, and last for a good spell. Hats off to all beekeepers, new and not so new. :)
We just came through a very mild fall here in the mid Atlantic and Northeast,but winter now seems to be setting its sights upon us. It will be interesting to see how a late change of season may change the outcome in the spring.
Happy Keeping, and remember, if you need to order bees, the time will be upon us real soon!!
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Today the bees were merrily working the broccoli side shoots that bolted... I expect these next few nights will put the quietus on that.
(https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10259333_552009278299182_7905379527034335757_n.jpg?oh=8a1aed27ef3922f34b0d6c5e9820a9a5&oe=57480880)
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LOL its finally "fall" here in the Florida Keys. All of our deciduous trees lose their leaves in the spring prior to putting on new growth and blossoming. I may actually have to rake in the next few days.
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Just slightly north of KW on the lovely islands of Matlacha & Pine Island, near Ft. Myers, the Mango trees are starting... No nectar from them, but lots of pollen.
Some of the neighbor's citrus has started but not sure how things are out in the groves yet.
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I am seeing yellow and gray (maple) pollen. Too many plants around here with yellow to know what it is. Probable Bahia grass.
Jim
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Great photo of the bee busy at work with the broccoli. Thanks for sharing :)
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No true single source flow in Key Largo yet but there is so much in bloom I am having to keep a close eye on space and the ladies are filling outer brood box frames with nectar fast....With the solid brood patterns and the number of drones I am starting to see I am going to have to go into swarm control mode in the next 2-3 weeks I am tthinking. Here is a close up of one of my ladies on the Borage out in the Garden.
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34 F This morning and I see this
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I couldn't find this one, so started another. Can you kill that thread, Ken?
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I think blooming crocuses in the snow count! :grin:
Here, I'm not sure what will bloom first. I'm excited to see. Maybe dandelions in May, depending? We've had constant snow in the valley since mid-Nov. Most in 20 years.
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I don't know what or where they were getting it but today I saw my bees bringing in yellow pollen. Our temps have been going from 70's for high one day to 40's high with lows in the 20's to 50's. I saw some plum trees that were wanting to bloom, but three days this week lows have been in the 20's. Probably will get all the early blooms.
Good luck to you and your bees,
Joe D
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Bees are working maple trees in SW Missouri today
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Here in NE Kansas, my bees have been bringing in grey and yellow pollen-likely elm and soft maple, these last two days.
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Bees working yellow crocus, deadnettle and veronica in central VA today.
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(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/04/9d07ea1ce5812ef52341f720609657f8.jpg)
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I've got a few Easter flowers blooming. The crocuses are going to start blooming this week.
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(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/03/06/6122099e9e5932c1717dc482da2ecda8.jpg)
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Tons of exotic landscape stuff blooming here in the Keys and the girls are laying in surplus nectar so we have something of a "flow"...the main flow from the mangroves, seagrapes, and other flowering trees is acting weird this year and seems to be delayed due to a much wetter than normal winter. We are finally in a more normal "dry pattern" so I hope we get the main flow started soon....its been a weird winter and I would like to see some normalcy ;-)
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Maples are blooming and with a near 70 degree day the bees were busy packing in the pollen. :happy:
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We're having tons of blossoms on Bradford pears, a fruitless trash tree with weak branching habits that looks pretty, grows fast, dies early, but provides pollen and maybe nectar to our bees. Plant nurseries promote the sale because they are cheap, grow quickly and in about 12 years they can be replaced.
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Bees are all over a neighbor's Texas mountain laurl tree that covered with blooms.
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We're having tons of blossoms on Bradford pears, a fruitless trash tree with weak branching habits that looks pretty, grows fast, dies early, but provides pollen and maybe nectar to our bees. Plant nurseries promote the sale because they are cheap, grow quickly and in about 12 years they can be replaced.
And many places they're no longer 'fruitless'. Originally Bradford pear was the only variety of Pyrus calleryana in this country and since it wasn't self-fruitful, produced no fruit (what fruit it produces are less than a 1/2 inch). But others introduced other "improved" varieties so now the pears produce fruit and the tree is becoming invasive in certain areas.
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I didn't know some had become fruitful. All I know is the blooms falling off clog my pool skimmer basket and I have to empty it several times a day when my neighbor's tree is blooming. And they have branching of about 25 or 30 degrees, which makes a very weak branch with not enough wood tissue in the branch to support the limbs once they get large, so the branches split, frequently causing splits down the main trunk. My neighbor had 3 of them until two split down the trunks and almost took out part of his house.
Some of the other varieties are just as attractive without the weak branching, but plant nurseries continue to stock the Bradford variety and developers continue to plant them.
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(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160331/0225dfee7cd2b677e97a1689748498e1.jpg)
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I agree a Bradford Pear is a worthless tree. There are so many other far worthier trees to plant in a yard. A flowering cherry is prettier and longer lived if you want to blooming ornamental but nothing beats a nice dogwood tree in my opinion.
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My bees are all over the white clover field they are in and on some wild flowers I do not know the name of.
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I saw blackberry in bloom this past weekend in north Baker County and Palmetto in the middle of Clay County. Jim
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My bees are also moving toward the opening privet hedge.
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Odd enough, I saw some goldenrod blooming today.
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Queen Palm has set the buds and should bee in full bloom soon.
Jim
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We have cucumber and umbrella magnolia all around us in full bloom but I have no idea if it is of value to honey bees.
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Sea Grapes are popping in the Florida Keys.....been a good rain pattern should be a good spring honey year everything is staggered like they should be....will have a flow through mid June at this rate :-)
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Bees working overtime on privet in bloom.
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Blackberry and raspberry started to bloom and bees are definitely on it.
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I have 6 acres of crimson and hop clover in bloom. The bees are working it hard. Tulip poplars are blooming as well. They are bringing in lots of orange pollen, not sure of the source.
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Not a main source of nectar and pollen here in the keys but there are quite a few planted in yards and as landscape features along US1....caught this girl out on a walk with the dog this morning.
http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/Necklace_pod_Sophora_tomentosa.pdf (http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/Necklace_pod_Sophora_tomentosa.pdf)
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I wish I had a smart phone only for uploading pictures but my bees are all over the two magnolia trees right now around them
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Black gum trees are a buzzing. I can hear the trees from 70' away. Gallberry are in full bloom with new buds coming my out still.
Jim
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Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) started blooming here in N. Alabama today. Each tree has thousands of blooms, both male and female trees bloom. The female blooms are twice the length of the male blooms. The photo is of a male tree.
Anyway, my bees are loving it. I have several dozen trees here on the farm.
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On May 15, Popcorn trees were buzzing, not as loud as the Black Gum.
Jim
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My bees are working my squash hard now. i will try to borrow a smart phone and take a picture tomorrow.
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Black Locust was pretty disappointing this year. I think Black cherry and some apples are still blooming. Red and White Clover is doing nicely.
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Corpus Christi, TX - - - Mesquite trees have been in full bloom for about a week, and several hundred square miles of cotton is just showing their first blooms.
Lots of rain at just the right time says it is going to be a realloy good year - - - for mesquite & cotton blossom honey - - -
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Saw Chinese Tallow in bloom today. Not a lot of bees on it. Bees think they are in a dearth. Robbing is horendous. Used sprinkler several times to break it up.
Jim
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Some of the Chinese Tallow blooms are beginning to be worked here also. Also saw some Ti Ti in bloom, may not be spelled correct.
Good luck to you and your bees,
Joe D
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What is Ti Ti?
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http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2014/03/25/titi-in-bloom-this-spring/ (http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/2014/03/25/titi-in-bloom-this-spring/)
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Still working the Popcorn Trees.
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I have seen some on crape myrtles now also.
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Crepe Myrtles do not provide nectar, they do not have nectaries.
Just learned that a few months ago at a bee meeting from David Westervelt, FL Supervisor of Bee Inspectors.
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Crepe Myrtles do not provide nectar, they do not have nectaries.
Just learned that a few months ago at a bee meeting from David Westervelt, FL Supervisor of Bee Inspectors.
What about pollen?
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Yes they provide pollen.
Jim
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Southwest Oklahoma Mesquites are blooming.
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Cabbage park is about to bloom.
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I was surprised to see bees tumbling over each other working the wild grapes in Charlotte. I would have expected grapes to have set fruit by now.
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Here in the mountains of middle TN, the main volume of nectar is sourwood right now (I think). We have a wildflower mix around our yard which they are pollinating (zennias, sunflowers, etc.) and several acres of mostly purple liatris and sumac.
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Eastern NC Bees starting to come outta dearth mode...Devils walking stick, tallow & fall ornamentals are on the menu until Goldenrod & Aster start up in about a month or so! (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160723/cf1a720f884e6890de84549341eac2ae.jpg)
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Bump bump bump!! Any new blooms ? How about them supers? My bees are working hard on the walking stick, took several hives down to SC put em on cotton! Good stores of honey + pollen. Keep em beezy y'all j
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Can they make any honey from Devil's walking stick?
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They do make honey outta walking stick. Not much though, once I've seen em almost fill a super. Really sweet light honey gotta pull it before the goldenrod. I just let em stack it up for winter. The blooms look great this year! Best I've seen it in years! Deer also love the purple berries they produce.
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They do make honey outta walking stick. Not much though, once I've seen em almost fill a super. Really sweet light honey gotta pull it before the goldenrod. I just let em stack it up for winter. The blooms look great this year! Best I've seen it in years! Deer also love the purple berries they produce.
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Blooms haven't quite opened here. Any day now!
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Does anyone know what this plant is? My bees are all over the open blooms of this plant.
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Jaimes, Per chance do you know the germination rate for the prickly ash, aka devil's walking stick? I've seen some around here and wanted to plant it.
I saw a type of goldenrod blooming in central Chilton county (central Alabama) this past weekend.
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I saw some golden rod two weeks ago blooming up in Huntsville. It should soon be down around our area :tongue:
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Does anyone know what this plant is? My bees are all over the open blooms of this plant.
Do you have clearer pictures of just the flower? Over all, it reminds me of a poinsettia genus.
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GSF I'm not sure about the germination rate or if the seeds need some type of cold stratification ? If transplanted some of the root of a larger shrub and have had success GL ! NC bees working asters-beans-cotton...Goldenrod still not open, decent flow happening now
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I don't have a clearer picture but I just went and looked and the plant is still loaded with bees.
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My plants are no more as the state came by and cut them all down off the side of the road
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NC we have aster and goldenrod coming up! Goldenrod won't start to fill up with nectar until it's about 2 weeks into bloom. And that's it y'all be ready ur bees need 60# of honey for 1 deep brood box
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Bees are going nuts over a patch of perilla and knotweed here. The blooms are so small can they get anything from this?
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I have the korean perrilla in my garden and it is getting worked hard. I don't know what they get but they think it is the best thing around.
gww
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Bees are going nuts over a patch of perilla and knotweed here. The blooms are so small can they get anything from this?
Here in N FL, most of our main honey producers are from small flowers. Our big honey producers are Gallberry, palmetto, and Black Gum. They all have small flowers. Black Gum flowers are so small, if you don't know what to look for you wouldn't know there were flowers in the tree if it was not for the loud buzz of the bees.
Jim
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sawdstmker,
I know thats logical, it just seemed odd to me, all the fuss over such a tiny flower. Took out some time today to watch closely and I saw a couple with full pollen baskets so I guess they know what's best. :smile:
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Are all of the bees that you see working this flower collecting pollen? If so it may be just a good pollen producer. Check with your Ag agent to see what the bees get from this flower.
Jim
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To get a rough idea of what's coming into the hives I will stand right in front of the entrance board and back up the bees. Then watch closely as they flood in. This gives me a rough pollen & nectar count.
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Are all of the bees that you see working this flower collecting pollen? If so it may be just a good pollen producer. Check with your Ag agent to see what the bees get from this flower.
Jim
Only two of about fifty had pollen,FWIW
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Are all of the bees that you see working this flower collecting pollen? If so it may be just a good pollen producer. Check with your Ag agent to see what the bees get from this flower.
Jim
Only two of about fifty had pollen,FWIW
That sounds like a good nectar producer.
Jim
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Hi Folks,
I'm curious, no one has brought up golden rain trees yet. I'm in N FL and have two very large ones in neighbors yards that are starting to bloom. One is to the north and the other is west of me, seems to be the two main traffic patterns for the bees when I watch them.
Same time last year I took some honey from an active bar and it was a light color (delicious too) so I assumed it was from the rain trees.
Driving around I see the trees all over the place but no mention here?
BTW, I may have the wrong name for the tree. Maybe it's Chinese Lantern? Obviously I'm not a tree guy...
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Bob,
Would you send me the location of one of these trees? I would like to know what it looks like. My bees are putting on weight like crazy right now. I know some of it is Goldenrod. But there is not a lot of it in this area and hives do not smell that strong so there must be something else out there they are going to.
Jim
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PM sent.
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nw corner of Elmore county - faint smell of goldenrod honey today
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PM sent.
Thanks for showing me the trees. They are good bee trees.
Jim
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I walked by my apiary this evening, heavy smell of golden rod. I could smell it 40 feet away.
Jim
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Hi Folks,
I'm curious, no one has brought up golden rain trees yet. I'm in N FL and have two very large ones in neighbors yards that are starting to bloom. One is to the north and the other is west of me, seems to be the two main traffic patterns for the bees when I watch them.
Same time last year I took some honey from an active bar and it was a light color (delicious too) so I assumed it was from the rain trees.
Driving around I see the trees all over the place but no mention here?
Can you send me something about these trees?
BTW, I may have the wrong name for the tree. Maybe it's Chinese Lantern? Obviously I'm not a tree guy...
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(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161102/d545fcb65e474e6765b4a383fd7ce8f9.jpg)
I smelled it before I saw it, and thought "hmmm, if I were a bee. .." then, there they were. In south Charlotte.
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Matt,
What is it?
Jim
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaeagnus_pungens an Asian introduction.
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Thanks,
I will have to keep an eye out for it.
Jim
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can somone help me out with this what kind of bees are these can I put then in a traditional hive?
https://youtu.be/KFMAn5JjD0A
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can somone help me out with this what kind of bees are these can I put then in a traditional hive?
https://youtu.be/KFMAn5JjD0A
Maclesan
Hive seems to be similar to a native Australian variety.
Bees appear much like honey bees engaged in a robbing exercise.
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Fatbeeman,
It is a Melipona Panamica. As mentioned, they are a stingless bee.
Where are you located?
Jim
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Thanks Checked them out. Very interesting.
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