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What's the fuss about dandelions?

13K views 38 replies 27 participants last post by  PowerEdge 
#1 ·
I have read umpteen posts about dandelions and bees relying on them as an early food source. I quit spraying our 1/4 mile long ditchbank and haven't sprayed my yard and there are dandelions everywhere. They've been blooming for a month or longer I guess. The neighbors yard is covered with them. The ditch bank across the road is covered with them. We've got them everywhere too. I have walked and looked and walked and looked. The next time I see a bee feeding on one, will be the FIRST time I see a bee feeding on one. I can only guess that dandelions are not a preferred food source for honeybees and we have something better in bloom. Opinions?
 
#3 ·
I'm quite a bit further north than you, and a lot of bee plants have/are blooming.

The value of dandelions is the 'early' food source you mentioned. I'll bet there was a time earlier that little besides dandelions were blooming. Now that there are lots of other choices, dandelions may be 'just another face in the crowd'. :)
 
#4 ·
Watch them bringing in pollen. The fluorescent orange stuff is dandelion, and you will see quite a bit of it. The pollen actually flies up off the flower onto the bees as they approach, the static electricity from flight attracts is. They did evolve together, after all.

I don't know when the bees visit the dandelions though, it's possible they are mostly early morning.

I see quite a bit of pollen coming in from them, even though I don't see bees on them much.

Peter
 
#6 ·
I will look for the flo orange pollen. I have a few frames that are almost solid pollen stores. Most of it is tan, grey, light yellow, with a red and bluish green scattered about. I think the tan is maple? and the red may be henbit, but I have NO idea what is green-blue. More green than blue but.... I find it fascinating too that the bees segregate the pollen per cell, according to color.

They may have fed on the dandelions earlier but I didn't see any then either. LOL
 
#8 ·
I used to think the same way, never saw bees on dandelions, but I found one year, that they only work some flowers at certain times of the day. I forget what time of day I saw them on dandelions, but they do work them. Maybe you are not seeing them at the right time of day?
 
#10 ·
Dandlions give nectar only with higher ambient temperatures, say 16-18 degree Celsius. That is the problem with dandelions here right now, too. Plenty of it, but temperatures are just a little too low. We have some sunny weather underway, so hope for a decent dandelion flow is not buried yet.
 
#11 ·
I haven't seen bees on dandelions in the spring, but I do see them in summer. In my area for the past couple of years the maple (several types), willow and henbit (in protected areas) have come out first.
 
#13 ·
Brad, I'm down here near Montgomery and the dandilions start showing up here when the henbit starts to bloom in mid February. I've noticed the bees definitely go to the dandilions for their pollen before they'll go to the henbit. However, once the red maples, early fruit trees and other more tasty flowering plants start blooming in early March, I don't see them anywhere near the dandilions.
 
#22 ·
[this isn't pointed at you specifically beeswax paintings, more general commentary off of your post]

This always makes me laugh because it seems we have this odd relationship with things called "weeds". I love dandelions. As kids we used to rub them on our faces like war paint. I make dandelion wine out of them every year for my wife now. Heard you can eat them but never tried. They light up the rolling hillside with no planting effort, what isn't to like? More recent years taught me they provide a valuable service to bees. Can you do that with most or any flowers that aren't labeled weeds in your yard? :)

One of my brothers (who lives in a development) systematically commits dandelion genocide each year. He really hates them and calls them weeds (he used to like them too). Sometimes I wonder what drove him mad ;)
 
#18 ·
brad, i don't see bees on dandelions very often either, i think it's a timing thing. last year my bees didn't work my blackberries but this year they worked them like crazy for a week or so. now clover is coming in and they aren't hitting the blackberries nearly as hard even though there are more in bloom now than there were a couple of weeks ago. clover is running late this year so i'm guessing blackberries were the best choice at the time.
 
#19 ·
I will keep a check more closely early next spring. It seems though that dandelions are not our first flowers to bloom. Maples bloom before they do and the bees here seem to love Maples.

MP, I have never seen any field that remotely had that large a number of dandelions.
 
#24 ·
well it all depends on whats blooming at the time currently they fill in the gap here before the fruit trees start to bloom.dandelions start here after the elms and willows my bees are all over them as soon as the first one opens.even right outside there box they continue to bee on them until there gone.
 
#28 ·
One of my favorite "Beverly Hillbillies" scenes is when they first arrive in Beverly Hills and Granny sends Jethro and Ellie May out to get some greens while Granny starts supper. They come back exhausted and dejected and inform Granny "there must've been a famine Granny, why there ain't no greens to be found for miles around, it's all picked clean, not even a dandelion! Nothing but grass as far as you can see!"
 
#30 ·
At the moment the dandelions are providing a decent nectar flow. Much more than the fruit trees.






In some hidden places there can be found lots and lots of dandelions.






I use dandelions as follows: I collect one or two hand full of dandelion blossoms and cook them in just a cup of water, lightly simmering for 20 minutes. In the meantime I melt and brown sugar in a shallow pan. Once the water has boiled down a bit I strain off the blossoms and pour the water carefully into the syrup. Stirring it for a minute and let it set and cool in jars. At wintertime the resulting syrup makes a nice remedy for colds. Especially good for treating sore throats.
 
#31 ·
Comments about timing of supering in reference to Dandelions always confused me because here the main Dandelion bloom is not until early Summer. So it is after swarm season and after most fruit trees have finished flowering.

They are around for a few months before that but not that many are flowering up until that time. So not an early source here.
 
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