[StevenG]

I have some hives on soybeans, and they're packing in the honey. But the beans are on riverplain/flood plain, very fertile land...that is also irrigated. I've heard beans not on fertile flood plain, or further north, don't produce much, if at all honey.

See what you can find out locally, or go ahead and put bees on your soybeans and see what happens.
Regards,
Steven

 

[D Coates]

Hit and miss... My first year I harvested honey I got more off of the soybean flow than I did from the clover flow ('07). It was completely unexpected and I had only put the harvested supers back on to be cleaned. I thought this is what I should expect. Since then, nothing to speak of. '08 and '09 were cooler than historical average. This year I've got various soybeans via different farmers all around me in various stages of maturity and empty drawn supers on. I've read that it's got to be hot, there's got to be good moisture, and the soybeans need to be a certain type. It's hot here and we've got good moisture but I'm not seeing anything to indicate a flow is on.

StevenG is right. Put them out and see what happens. Understand, the stars need to line up for it to work but when it does you will be well rewarded.

 

[ghulst]

I don't have to put them out i must have over 400 acres within a mile of all my hives. It is hot and very wet here this year in michigan. Tomarrow I will have to look if they are working them.

 

[Show-me]

I have never found anything on how to ID what variety of soybeans actually provide nectar. I live in the heart of soybean country and I'm not seeing it.

Is there a way to visually ID the correct nectar providing soybean plants? Or, is it up to the bee's to tell me?

 

[D Coates]

I have never found anything on how to ID what variety of soybeans actually provide nectar. I live in the heart of soybean country and I'm not seeing it. Is there a way to visually ID the correct nectar providing soybean plants? Or, is it up to the bee's to tell me?

Excellent question! I've heard it's the ones with "purple flowers". However, I had those in the 500+ acres of soybeans 20 feet from my hives and got nothing last year. There was an article in either ABJ or BC a few months back about soybeans and thier fickleness. I was hoping the article would give a laymans answer to that question. I reread that article less than a week ago and found nothing more detailed than "certain varieties".