Bee-friendly plants

[Feckless Drone]

Thanks folks - Tibetan tree peony. From what I read it is so hardy and easy to propagate that even I have a chance with it.

[fatshark]

Just back from a week in Andalucia where the fields and hedgerows were awash with wildflowers, a positive riot of colour, and you couldn't go anywhere without the constant buzz of bees (and other insects) of all sorts busy at work on them.

Lots of wild peonies in the cork oak forests ... stunning.

In contrast ... a 10 minute walk yesterday afternoon (a lovely day) in North Fife demonstrated how relatively sterile the environment here is ... a handful of bees (investigating a bait hive of mine), no butterflies, no incessant drone of insects and almost no hedgerow flowers. Depressing.

[Greengage]

Having worked in the Horticulture industry this does not surprise me.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environ...-a7734516.html

[fatshark]

Andalucia

170509-44.jpg

though, depressingly, the only apiary I saw was abandoned with robbed out hives, only one of which still contained bees. Over the last 3-4 years this apiary has got more and more run down and is now clearly no longer being used. Not much evidence of Varroa resistance here

170509-04.jpg

Anyone know what sort of hives these are? Hinged roof, smaller than a Langstroth, not square, usually with upper entrance only.

[Greengage]

We have Echiums growing at the moment they are like McDonalds for pollinating insects and Allium 'Purple Sensation' lots of bees foraging on them at the moment also the chestnuts are in flower so busy Bees here.

[Feckless Drone]

Andalucia

Anyone know what sort of hives these are? Hinged roof, smaller than a Langstroth, not square, usually with upper entrance only.

"Layens type"? https://pcela.rs/beekeeping_Spain.htm

[fatshark]

"Layens type"? https://pcela.rs/beekeeping_Spain.htm

Thanks FD ... that's precisely what they were. Interesting quote in the link "The government is trying to persuade beekeepers to change [from Layens] to either Langstroth hives or Dadant types". It made me wonder whether there were financial inducements and the consequences of our government trying to do the same thought of thing here. Can you imagine the response to Andrea Leadsom saying "Thou shalt use Langstroths" or "Warre and Sun hives are now illegal"?

[Feckless Drone]

Can you imagine the response to Andrea Leadsom saying "Thou shalt use Langstroths" or "Warre and Sun hives are now illegal"?

Hold on to that thought - then, imagine her saying "Langstroths and buckfast bees": how about we have a referendum?