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PLANTING FOR BEES

84K views 243 replies 62 participants last post by  BULLSEYE BILL 
#1 ·
I have read that plantings for bee forage is not generaly a profitable endevor.
OK, so this is a hobby.
I have ten acres of crop land left that was not put into CRP and would like to put it into use for the bees.
My area is just west of the Flint Hills in eastern central Kansas. Main crops in this area are wheat, milo, soybeans, corn and sorgum. Alfalfa and clover do quite well here, I do not know if canola would.
I know that the clovers will bloom at different times and there is some overlap, I do not know in which order they bloom. I have thought of sowing a mix of white, yellow, and red with alfalfa, however it may be better to strip sow them seperatly in hope of cutting them to possibly entice a second bloom.
I have quite a few questions and would like anyones input on how they would or have done this.
Some terms that I have read and do not know are the names; sainfoin, trefoil, and trifolium clovers. What are these?
The local co-op listed both red and crimson clover, is one better for bees than the other? Another that I had not know of is hubam.
And lastly, does anyone know of a source for goldenrod seed?
Any help would be appreciated.
Bill
 
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#33 ·
Anise hyssop is also a great bee plant, and it supposedly does well in this area, but the seeds I planted last Fall have yet to emerge, so I am doing some winter-sowing in containers. Some of them are starting to germinate now, but I probably won't have any flowers until Spring or Summer 2004. Ayers has written some good articles on the value of hyssop for bee forage. It apparently does not do well with competition from other weeds, so it would need to be sown in a well-prepared site to help it thrive. I bought my seeds for hyssop from Prairie Moon Nursery, which is another great source for wildflowers, perennials forbs, and some trees and shrubs.
 
#34 ·
I am posting to warn about the tansy plant. Once it goes to seed, it is almost imposible to erraticate. My father-in-law planted some about 3yrs. ago, and now he has tansy all over his yard.
I am sure it may be a good bee plant, but we must concider all the effects before introducing another speices.
 
#35 ·
Please be careful about the Tansy (Tanacetim vuleare) as the bees love the flower but other animals find it toxic when they eat it and it can take over an acre in 2 years making it unfit for other animals.
others that are good for bees but bad for other animals aer these 2 weeds that can take over an acre of ground in 2 years and mildly toxic to farm animals.
Spotted Knapweed - Centaurea maculosa Lam
and
Purple Loosestrif - Lythrum salilicaria
All 3 came from Europe
Clint

------------------
Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan
 
#36 ·
Greetings all,
I have anise hyssop in my garden and it will self sow and spread although it is easily disrupted in the early spring.Oddly,my bees seem to ignore it when it flowers(aug- frost}and are atracted to the oregano 6 feet away.


Clint Bemrose brings up a very valid point.As beekeepers ,we consider ourselves to be enviromentally conscious. Invasive plants(and animals ie. Africanized Honey Bees and Gypsy Moths)are a serious problem and just because something may be a good bee plant doesn't mean its a good plant.Check out http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/common.htm
and see how many "honey plants"you recognize.

Jack
 
#37 ·
Sorry for this late post but I just found this board. Someone posted that their locust tree had long thorns on the trunk. That is a Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), not a black locust. Oddly, the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is the nectar producer around here although I have never seem the honey locust in bloom to tell if bees use it. Black locust thorns are paired at the bases of the leaves. We have many black locust trees in our yard and area. When they are in bloom you can hear the hum from the number of bees working them. Unfortunately like most trees the bloom lasts only a week or two and often strong spring storms will completely deflower the trees. They smell wonderful in bloom.

Someone else thought the wood rotted easily. Actually the opposite is usually true as they were historically used for fence posts. We use them to line our gardens and they have lasted on the ground for many years.

I too planted anise hyssop after reading in Pellet and eslewhere that it was "the wonder honey plant". Wrong. The honeybees almost never use it. Only a few have ever been noticed on the planting and they left after a short visit. The bumblebees love it. Intoxicating licorice fragrance though. And I don't even like licorice.

I also noticed that the bees only use buckwheat in the morning.

I have never seen a honeybee on the ironweed growing around here. Maybe need more plants. They do like joe pye weed (all eupatorium species actually; summer bloomers). Milkweeds are popular also and bloom in the summer (Aesclepias species). Many of the herbal mints like oregano are attractive and bloom over a long summer period. Russian sage, a low shrub, is another. Basil plants are favorites.

Honeybees do use the smartweed growing around our garden but it is a non native weed. Goldenrod and aster are great late summer to fall nectar and pollen sources that are both native and readily spread on their own once established.

In truth, bees really aren't going to get much nectar from a few plants added to your landscape. They need mass plantings, agricultural in scale, especially for herbaceous plants. I would suggest trees if you have the room as they produce abundantly, if only for a short while, and a single tree will harbor dozens of bees in the same area occupied by just a few shrubs or plants. Drawback: Most trees only bloom in the spring (tuliptree, black locust, willow, maple, basswood, etc), not in the summer when we need them most.

Plant natives if possible. Many introduced plants and trees are wreaking havoc.

Whew. Sorry for being so long winded.
 
#38 ·
Sorry for this late post but I just found this board. Someone posted that their locust tree had long thorns on the trunk. That is a Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos), not a black locust. Oddly, the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is the nectar producer around here although I have never seem the honey locust in bloom to tell if bees use it. Black locust thorns are paired at the bases of the leaves. We have many black locust trees in our yard and area. When they are in bloom you can hear the hum from the number of bees working them. Unfortunately like most trees the bloom lasts only a week or two and often strong spring storms will completely deflower the trees. They smell wonderful in bloom.

Someone else thought the wood rotted easily. Actually the opposite is usually true as they were historically used for fence posts. We use them to line our gardens and they have lasted on the ground for many years.

I too planted anise hyssop after reading in Pellet and eslewhere that it was "the wonder honey plant". Wrong. The honeybees almost never use it. Only a few have ever been noticed on the planting and they left after a short visit. The bumblebees love it. Intoxicating licorice fragrance though. And I don't even like licorice.

I also noticed that the bees only use buckwheat in the morning.

I have never seen a honeybee on the ironweed growing around here. Maybe need more plants. They do like joe pye weed (all eupatorium species actually; summer bloomers). Milkweeds are popular also and bloom in the summer (Aesclepias species). Many of the herbal mints like oregano are attractive and bloom over a long summer period. Russian sage, a low shrub, is another. Basil plants are favorites.

Honeybees do use the smartweed growing around our garden but it is a non native weed. Goldenrod and aster are great late summer to fall nectar and pollen sources that are both native and readily spread on their own once established.

In truth, bees really aren't going to get much nectar from a few plants added to your landscape. They need mass plantings, agricultural in scale, especially for herbaceous plants. I would suggest trees if you have the room as they produce abundantly, if only for a short while, and a single tree will harbor dozens of bees in the same area occupied by just a few shrubs or plants. Drawback: Most trees only bloom in the spring (tuliptree, black locust, willow, maple, basswood, etc), not in the summer when we need them most.

Plant natives if possible. Many introduced plants and trees are wreaking havoc.

Whew. Sorry for being so long winded.
 
#40 ·
It's so funny you mention buttonbush. I spent lots of time in late Fall collecting seeds from wildflowers and shrubs that grow wild on our place. One of these shrubs was a bushy plant that I couldn't identify, because the flowers were already gone to seed and the leaves had fallen. I collected the seeds off these "puff ball" shaped flower heads and I had ordered seeds for buttonbush from Prairie Moon Nursery. When my seed order came in, I was so surprised to see that the seeds I had collected were buttonbush seeds. I had all I could ever need from my own plants, but didn't know what they were! Now I have a healthy surplus of buttonbush seeds, so if anyone needs seeds, let me know. It was a funny little lesson in not paying attention to what's at your disposal.
 
#42 ·
I have heard many trees mentioned here but not the catalpa tree, also known as the Indian bean.
It blooms multipal times during the year and we have many of them on our grounds. It would be just my luck that their flowers are too long for the bees to get inside of, or that they do not produce any nectar...
Anyone? Thanks,
Bill
 
#44 ·
back on the subject of goldenrod,my bees are very picky about it,i know here in indiana there are over 40 species of goldenrod,my bees don't sem to like some types at all,other ones they hit on only after all the joe-pye weed is finished.i do recomend joe-pye weed its easy to grow,big and pretty.i've found that if you have an area of fescue,cut it short once early in spring to get the grass short and then the field wild flowers will have a good chance to get established, i also sometimes burn patches of grass,it does wonders.
 
#45 ·
I noticed a question was raised concerning the honey locust. I have a tremedous amount of these trees on some property I own. I plan on putting a couple of hives on this property this year. If anyone has any info on whether the bees will get a honey flow from this tree, I would be in your debt. I have tried to get the book honey plants of North America, and have been unsuccessful in getting a copy..


Thanks
Thesurveyor
 
#47 ·
My planting experiment is underway!

I planted eleven acres this last weekend. I decided on five distinct areas of forrage.
Three acres of Yellow clover
Three acres of Huban clover
Three acres of Alfalfa
One acre of Canola and
One acre of Safflower/Sunflower mixed

The bad news is that I am told that the clover will not bloom the first year, that it needs a dormant period first. Well, we will still have plenty of forrage for this year.

You have been a great help, I have identified many plants on my property that I had not known to be nectar producers. I am looking to have a good year.
Bill

[This message has been edited by BULLSEYE BILL (edited March 17, 2003).]
 
#48 ·
has anyone ever had bees on strawberry's?,I've read alot about it, they say bees don't get much from it & you need to put the bees on it about 4 or 5 days after it blooms,I'd like to get some info on this because they are several people planting it around here,(it's u-pick farm's),some has asked me about placing bees on the crop's. thank you for ANY help. mark
 
#49 ·
mark, i don't know about the value of it as a nectar/ pollen source,but i know bee's do work it,i saw an interesting story years ago that i had forgotten,some university tried bees as a way to deliver a powder(i can't remember what) to strawberry blossoms instead of spraying the plants by hand/machine,the treatment was to prevent a fungus or something,and thus a better crop.the bees would walk through the powder as they were going out to forage.they claimed their bees did a much better job.this also was supposedly harmless to the bees.anyway sorry i can't remember more,maybe it's on the web somewhere?
 
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