BBKA Forum

Now you've said that Caroline, it was much more brick red, so it sounds like it was more likely to be Chestnut, it certainly wasn't orange/red. Thanks for that

Hi Chris, yes it does sound as if it's horse chestnut pollen they're finding. I saw a row of horse chestnut out in flower whilst driving home earlier; not within foraging distance of my hives though.

I'm hoping for some purple pollen from Phacelia and black pollen from poppies again this year; dependant on whether or not the local farmers have sown any.

I never realised phacelia was purple. I think one of my farmers has down some. I'll have to ask.

Quite Interesting talking to three farmers where I have apiaries. One hasn't planted OSR for the last two years, another has said hes planted far less than he used to and third has said with in five years he won't be growing it any more. This is all on the back of not being able to use neonicatoids and can no longer control pollen beetle or it's larvae effectively. it's having a devastating impact on the crop and it's yield.

Within 100 metres of my out apiary, at my request, a farmer has planted about an acre of 'pollinator mix' seeds plus added phacelia and borage and with the rain we have had, it should get off to a good start. The field was fallow last year so there should not be so much nutrient in the soil which is good.

OSR looks like it is finishing - so supers will need to come off sharpish. The worry is whether I can get the time to do it. Some is nearly capped, so I need to get a lick on!

OSR still in full flower here but 5 C / 6C temps, 40mph wind and relentless rain is just destroying it.
I was amazed last week while visitng my son in Aylesbury that all the Horsechestnut was in full flower. The leaves are only just starting to open here. Its a great shame the Cherry trees have all been destroyed by the wind and rain. All my plants in the greenhouse have turned white with the cold. WINTER IS COMING............
Cheers Mick.

Hawthorne is starting to flower. (Although it's not usually a good plant for bees).

AdamD wrote: ↑

12 May 2019, 10:17

Hawthorne is starting to flower. (Although it's not usually a good plant for bees).

It's flowering up here as well but although I've seen lots of people online state bees work Hawthorne, I've never seen a single bee on the flower in 9years of beekeeping

It's not called the 11 O'clock tree for nothing. Warm weather and never before 11 will you see bees on Hawthorne...but in the right conditions they will work it. You can tell in the frames as it stands out as very dark Vs the lighter OSR honey.

Thanks Nigel. Never knew that. I'll keep looking after 11am now