Gravel pits anyone?

[BeePuncher]

Is it just me or does anyone out there situate their yards near a country gravel/sand operation? In my case I have yards on diagonal sides of a very large one: the property is about 4-5 square miles, and chock full of great nectar sources. I guess there are mega pits out there that have that moonscape look for miles, but aside from the one I am beside I have been looking closer at other ones and how they operate. In my locale they seem to work a very small percentage of the actual land at any given time, thus leaving areas that to most are wasteland, unless you consider a blueweed patch three acres large a waste! Their are so many areas like this, an acre or two of milkweed here and there, the sweet clovers, motherwort, etc. Areas that appear to be done with are thick in sumacs, again by the acre. Here in Ontario the gravel companies are supposed to by law put the spent areas into some productive use, and a fun project for a bee club might be to work with one of these outfits to plant black locust, basswood etc as future pollinator forage. Just a thought.

They also put up huge berms on any portion facing a road, and these are full of honey plants as well - they don't cut or spray them because they help stabilize hills. I don't know if this is the norm for most operations, but I have got to say that I looooove the gravel pit!

[dcross]

Sounds just like the pits here.

[Roland]

We have a yard in a gravel pit. It has no significant forage within, not even weeds to get in the way of working the hives. It is not muddy in most parts, so getting stuck after a rain is not so much of a concern. We have our eyes open for more sites like it.

Roland

[justin]

here they are all knapweed, which makes great honey, unless they are forest service pits then they are vetch, clover and grasses. all are good forage, and big flat spots. it's only the abandoned pits though, the ones that are running are busy dusty messes.