[cmonkey]

I have a few square yards of buckwheat in bloom (never got it tilled under), and I have yet to see a bee on it. There is clover (white and red), birdsfoot trefoil, and about 5 acres of various weeds in bloom, and I don't see the girls on ANY of it. They're going on runs for something, but it's not pollen as far as I can tell, and from what I can see in the field and garden, it's not nectar either. What's up? I mean, clearly I can't keep track of all of them, but I like to think at least some of them would be working right near the hive.

 

[beedeetee]

They have found something that they like better. Honey bees will continue to work a flower even after something closer or better (in the beekeepers opinion) comes along. When that flower gives out they will look for something else.

There are a lot of flowers around here that you never see a bee on. For buckwheat, when the days are hot they only work it in the mornings.

 

[cmonkey]

And they work one bloom at a time, right, which is how single note honey comes about? Mmmm, basswood...

 

[Beeslave]

Basswood down here is done for the most part. If you have basswood in your area that could be what they are working. Taste the fresh nectar and open honey next to it. If it has a mild mint taste to it that would be basswood.

 

[cmonkey]

It's weird, across the bridge in Duluth the basswood is going strong, but the one in our driveway doesn't even have buds yet. But it tends to be a late bloomer. Maybe there are others nearby that have started already. Odd.

 

[Beeslave]

Microclimates and soil types make the difference.

 

[cmonkey]

It's so much warmer here than Duluth, that's what's odd to me. Beside basswood, we're way ahead of them on other things. It's odd. But maybe goldenrod will be done before the basswood, so I won't have to worry about stink in the mix, if I get a bit for myself.

 

[Pugs]

Bees will also work some flowers at certain times of the day, at least I read that somewhere years ago, when I was knee high to a tadpole.

Pugs