Found this doing a search using "bradford pear":

"You won't get much nectar off of them, but the bees will work them some if there isn't something better available." - - Michael Bush, Post: 27,742

 

They aren't one of their preferred and will move off of them when other fruits start coming in. If you're in a location with a lot of them and your bees are strong, they will be able to collect a fair amount of nectar from them. And surprisingly it doesn't taste bad at all. (Judging by the flower fragrance)

Where I'm located they are a welcome site because they are coming in filling a gap when nothing else significant is available most of the time. All important in getting the bees up to speed for better things to come. If you've been giving your bees a boost earlier, (mid January here) they will be in the swarm mode soon after the Bradfords show up.

 

bradford pears here in fayetteville, ar, are just starting to bloom, and the tree in my yard will have several hundred bees on it at a time. again its probably due to a lack of other pollen / nectar sources this time of year.

 

there are literally hundreds of them with in a mile of where i work.

 

In Western N.C they are worthless. I have never seen a bee on them. We have the Red Maple in bloom and the honey bee wont go near a pear tree. I guess its not there favorit.
Beewhisper

 

>They are really pretty, but do the bees work them?

If there's nothing else.

> Do they have a lot of nectar or just pollen?

They must not make much as the bees usually seem to have other more interesting things to work when they are blooming.

But I did get more pears when I moved the bees here than the year that the tree bloomed BEFORE I brought the bees here. So they must do something for them. Mostly I see leaf cutter bees working them.

 

What about real pear trees?

There's a really big fruit-bearing pear tree down the block. Do bee like real pear trees better?

 

>Do bee like real pear trees better?

Not really.

 

Sigh...

Our bradford pears will not bloom for another 40 days! At least...

 

They've been blooming here since last Tuesday and the bees won't touch them (Bradfords) But the regular (Bartlett) pears started blooming Saturday a little bit and the bees are all over them.

 

My bees have been working the two trees in my yard. I would not say they are really attracted to it. I have a dwarf Alberta peach which is in full blom now and they love that tree.

 

my bee's work the devil out of them, bradford pairs are one of the first things that bloom here after maples, they might not get much nectar but get plenty of pollen from them, they work bradford pairs and my fruit barring pair tree's just fine, they work them so good that when you get about 50 yards from the tree's you here a buzz like a swarm flying......

 

I have not found that the bees work the Bradford Pears very much. They prefer my heather, winter honeysuckle, and flowering almonds which are in bloom around the same time as the pears.

 

maybe location is the main thing about bradford pairs but in my location I should plant a 1000 of them.....