Good result Jimbo. The horse chestnut is in flower in sub tropical Belfast and the sycamore is nearly out as well. Pear is just about finished and apple has started. Dandelion everywhere and several fields of oil seed rape. I wonder how much of these sources are producing nectar at temperatures of 10-11c. The rape wont be. No shortage of pollen anyway.
We've wondered about a public day of some kind too, maybe in mid-summer, but I have my hands full with beginners at the moment (in a manner of speaking).
The sycamore which has been flowering for three weeks is alongside a horse chestnut which has also been in flower for a week or two. I think that they got a fright when some oaks around them blew down in winter so they've been spooked into rushing into flower. Trust me, I'm a (plant) doctor. Many others are in early flowering in sheltered spots but there are large areas not out yet. Too wet for them today I would think.
You're lucky. Here, in the frozen south, neither sycamore nor horse chestnut are close to floweringOriginally Posted by gavin
Nor here. I just noticed that my dandelions have just come out today although they have been around for over a week just half a mile down the road.
Rosie
I think that the sycamores are going to be spread out over a long season here this year. There are plenty not yet in flower.
There have been some dandelions out for weeks and more recently huge numbers in the grassy roadside areas around Dundee. The bees may have 3-4 days of mediocre weather to make something of the forage available, then it is forecast to close in again for perhaps a week. I'm now making up the first syrup I've made since the autumn ...
Mine were flying strongly and I checked the 9 I have at the allotment. Stores were grand and there was evidence of fresh nectar and pollen. I swapped a couple of frames of sealed stores around to balance up the stores. I would say on average there are 10-12 lbs of stores in each colony.
They are still building up and all had a larger brood area than when I last looked properly just over 2 weeks ago.
I put supers on 3 although they would probably have been ok for another week.
the one I requeened after finding a drone laying queen mid march is doing well. I had it dummied down to 5 frames and 4 of them were well covered with brood so I had to give it a couple more. I gave it a frame of emerging brood from a stronger colony two weeks ago which has obviously helped. This year the colonies which have built up more slowly have a definite advantage. Loads of reports of starving bees in England.
Mine will not be doing much flying today!
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The polytunnel is like Noah's ark when this happens. Everyone is saved except the poor bees. It's a good job they can take it. By the time the water has stopped rising it will be another 2 inches higher - at least it's always stopped at that point before.
The rainbow one was taken a couple of weeks ago so I'm hoping to see something similar soon.
Rosie
Last edited by Rosie; 29-04-2012 at 05:04 PM. Reason: typo - it's them almonds
Great weather today. The sun has been out and we have had quite high temperatures. It is predicted for another week of the same. Bees were flying and I had to put a super on a couple of the stronger hives
Definitely better oop north this past few weeks
Sycamores very slow here - more not out than out.Saw our first Swallow yesterday but they were down in Penarth S.Wales on the 12th of April.They are about a fortnight later than last year.Still having to feed the bees as they are consuming their stores faster than they can replace them.Lots of pollen from the Whins tho'
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