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I'm seeing bees on the white clover in the grass, but I don't know where else they might be finding anything.
Is the northeast in a dearth now?
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I'd say just beginning here. Bees are slow to draw comb, taking notice of me & buzzing me in the yards, and visiting ornamentals that have no nectar or pollen value. Might be some value in privet, aster and some white clover still but the main flow is waning fast.
I noticed that a couple of my hives have LOTS of bees staying put, outside the hive during the day. These bees should be busy gathering. That tells me that things are waning.
I still have pollen coming in, but not at the record breaking speeds of mid-May!
I still have pollen coming in, but not at the record breaking speeds of mid-May!
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Last summer i had a nice buckwheat patch that kept them busy, but this summer the buckwheat patch is scrawny looking and the pollinators don't seem to use it much. It's a long time till goldenrod.
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napp weed is flowering if you have it.
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Basswood and Sweet Clover in full bloom, too.
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Going full tilt on linden-buckwheat-some remaining berry-birds foot-and tons of clover- no dearth in sight but need some rain.bm
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around me they are on milkweed big time
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Acebird - why do you want to plow it under? It will flower until frost hits and then it will die and become "green manure." It won't regrow, altho you can harvest the seeds from it (you can google how to do that) to replant next year. I love buckwheat.
It also only produces nectar in the mornings, so don't be concerned if you don't see bees on it after that.
Here's a good article on it: https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/buckwheat.html
It also only produces nectar in the mornings, so don't be concerned if you don't see bees on it after that.
Here's a good article on it: https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/buckwheat.html
Question, if there is a dearth (or at least you think there is one) is that a sign for a beekeeper to definitely harvest whatever honey they were planning on harvesting?
I'm getting worried, I'm out traveling for a week and my electric extractor doesn't arrive until Saturday!
I'm getting worried, I'm out traveling for a week and my electric extractor doesn't arrive until Saturday!
I'm in Strafford County and the bees have been hitting the basswood tree out back for a few days now. I can here the buzzing from 50 yards away. There is another kind of tree that is just finishing blooming it has a 6 inch stick of tiny flowers. There are still lots of wildflowers around. I'm not sure what all of them are, but the honey bees and bumble bees seem to like it.
There is never a requirement to extract only a requirement to give them more space. If there is a dearth the space requirement goes away.
New bee, I assumed you had to plow it under to take advantage of the green manure. I will take note when the bees are on it. Maybe they get pollen?
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I guess it depends on your setup Acebird, but my patch is small and I just left it and it decomposed over winter, kind of like hay.
Yes everything will decompose but this soil is mostly clay and it could use a lot of compost in it to prevent it from becoming a brick when it is dry.
I'm in Lake Placid NY. My bees are still hauling in loads of pollen. No idea where its coming from. The area around my house is heavy forest, not much farm land. I have lots of clover in my yard but they don't seem to be getting on it anymore. I run 3-5 miles everyday and am constantly looking at what is growing when i run. I don't see much that catches my eye but they are getting something from somewhere. We do have a bit of milk weed in the yard and they are getting on that pretty steady but there isn't that much of it.
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