Build up on Eucalyptus

[HVH]

Has anyone moved their bees onto California Eucalyptus (like Blue Gum) in November to build up until Feb/March?

[Ted Kretschmann]

I do not know about California but when I worked for jim powers on the big Island of Hawaii, we had bees on the windy side of the Island that built up nicely on Euc. They even made a little surplus. That sure was some nasty tasting honey though. It was something that only a momma Koala Bear would love!! TED

[HVH]

Thanks Ted,

Do you think the bees would be active enough during the winter months if the average daytime temp was above 60F?

[loggermike]

Back in the 60s when I started beekeeping on the central coast,Huston Honey and Knoefflers ran a lot of hives into the euc. I seem to remember it blooming in December.
The outfit I worked for sold a lot of bottled up raw euc honey .It was dark and strong and I loved it.

[Ted Kretschmann]

Yes, I do. When I was in Hawaii, I learned that it can get kind of cool during the winter months. Lows down in the forties in the mornings. The mountains Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa can be snow capped during those months and the cool air sinks down toward the sea. But that did not slow the bees down at all. I saw them put up three mediums of Ohia honey in five days. So the lesson learned was if something is blooming and the plant yields copius amounts of nectar the bees will work it even in cold temperature. TED

[odfrank]

My bees are on eucalyptus year round. The globulous starts around Halloween and goes until June. The blooms are scattered on the trees and neighborhoods, not all blooming at the same time. The penninsula used to be forested with them but many fewer left after post war development. Polyantemous blooms in spring until summer, and is used a lot on freeway cloverleafs. Ficifolia, red gum, is blooming right now. There are many other varieties planted here. The honeys are light to amber and excellent tasting. BTM (before the mites) we used to sometimes fill a medium October to February on the euc flow. I do a thorough honey clogged brood chamber purging in February. Less so now that half my bees die every winter.

[Gypsi]

Half your bees die every winter?

[odfrank]

Since 2006 beekeepers in my area have been suffering massive winter losses, in a warm climate with winter bloom.

[Gypsi]

hmmmm... Bears thinking about. After summer losses, I am (and am not) looking forward to winter.

[odfrank]

This Euc ficifolia was in bloom in 94010 industrial neighbor hood a few weeks ago.

[HVH]

Ted - That is great news. The only variable - I don't know what species I am dealing with and each species has a different bloom season covering the entire year.

[HVH]

My bees are on eucalyptus year round. The globulous starts around Halloween and goes until June. The blooms are scattered on the trees and neighborhoods, not all blooming at the same time. The penninsula used to be forested with them but many fewer left after post war development. Polyantemous blooms in spring until summer, and is used a lot on freeway cloverleafs. Ficifolia, red gum, is blooming right now. There are many other varieties planted here. The honeys are light to amber and excellent tasting.

This is my problem - I don't know when these trees bloom. I hear from one source in the area that they are blooming in the spring. A beekeper told me he got 12 barrels of honey out of there from June to December. My impression from reading about the history is that they were planted for lumber and were fast growing - sounds like globulous which is a winter bloomer. So I am clueless as usual. I am taking a trip to the property and plan on taking good photos and bringing back specimens to help identify what they are. I was really hoping for globulous because trees blooming from November to March would be perfect prior to almonds. Do you have a resource to recommend for identification?

[odfrank]

This is globulus compact in bud and bloom. Most forests in California are globulus as far as I know.

[loggermike]

Which species is the one they planted for pulp in the northern Sacramento Valley?

I have a winter yard near one of those plantations and it has never bloomed during the time I am there(November to February).

I think it blooms later in the spring.

[HVH]

odfrank and loggermike,

Californians planted many varieties hoping for good lumber and found they did not work. Some planted for firewood and some for pulp. My understanding is that the firewood and pulp idea was a plan-b due to it not being good for lumber. Some species freeze so they are not planted in the central valley or up North. I think globulus was the most widely planted because it grows very fast and was thought to be good for wood.

odfrank - what time of year was your globulus picture taken?

[odfrank]

odfrank - what time of year was your globulus picture taken?

Picture dated 2/11/2009, tree has since been pruned heavily.

Many years ago I passed what looked like pulp stands somewhere on #5 north of Sacramento and those where all globulus. Those crowed forests don' make much bloom except the tops and edges.

[HVH]

If you took that picture in February, for globulus weren't they in bloom for a few months already prior to the photo?
I was thinking of using the parcel with 100 acres of old growth eucalyptus for a holding yard. Another beekeeper told me he used to keep 100 colonies on that land for honey production. I just want to keep my bees alive for almonds.

[Heavenly bees]

hey HvH what area do you want to move your bees too for the eucalyptus

[Keith Jarrett]

hey HvH what area do you want to move your bees too

Yeah, and can you also give address and cross street too. lol

[Heavenly bees]

i was only trying to help him out on his question on when eucalyptus blooms because there is different areas that the different varietys bloom