What are your bees foraging on this week?

[Rich0909]

I thought it might be interesting to see what forage plants members have seen bees on this week - and maybe keep the thread going through the season if it works. The lists of forage plants in books always seem very brief and I am sure there are many other plants the bees are taking advantage of - especially in urban and suburban areas.
My apiary is on allotments on the edge of suburban Ipswich and despite having OSR about 1km away the vast majority are heading in the opposite direction to a group of wild plum trees about 20m away this week, ignoring the blackthorn nearby too.

Rich.

 

[Davidwd]

pear tree blossom

 

[drstitson]

pear, apple, quince and cherry blossoms.

dandelions.

 

[TOBY-3652]

water..... only joking hope the wether soon picks up// the ones that were venturing out were on blackthorne and a fer on rape

 

[newportbuzz]

pear
some late willow
dandilion

nothing like 2 weeks ago tho very few pollen loads going in

 

[Luminos]

Pear, apple and crab apple blossom seem to be preferred to the wisteria

 

[MuswellMetro]

Dandelion, "prunus type", pear and at one out apiary OSR and pear

Apple orchard yet to flower

 

[Black Comb]

Next door neighbours swimming pool and blackthorn. A few dandelions are out.

 

[Erichalfbee]

We have masses of Blackthorn, Wild Cherry and Damson out but as it's been raining mostly I guess the nectar's been washed out.
Plenty of dandelion but then probably not warm enough for their nectar.
Sycamore probably a better source and there's plenty blooming and to come.
Our neighbour's yew trees are buzzing when the sun comes out between showers. Does yew yield pollen?

 

[drstitson]

and lilac.

 

[susbees]

We have masses of Blackthorn, Wild Cherry and Damson out but as it's been raining mostly I guess the nectar's been washed out.
Plenty of dandelion but then probably not warm enough for their nectar.
Sycamore probably a better source and there's plenty blooming and to come.
Our neighbour's yew trees are buzzing when the sun comes out between showers. Does yew yield pollen?

Ditto re the rain on the trees. Shame as all the prunus are in full flower now. OSR just yellowing half a mile from our new apiary but too wet to sort the hives out.

And yes, yew is supposed to but as everything's poisonous except the seeds wouldn't want too much of it...

 

[Into the lions den]

And yes, yew is supposed to but as everything's poisonous except the seeds wouldn't want too much of it...

Yew pollen is fine, have had apiaries beside some estates and religious sites that had it in abundance with no ill efects at all, and the bees haul it home in large amounts. Pollen a very light peachy buff kind of shade.

However, OPs questions was what are our bees foraging on this week. Well between the hefty rainshowers we have (in descending order of importance, and not all our locations have the same spread) OSR, willow, dandelion, gorse, charlock, kale, wild cherry, alder, yew, maple.


The kale is the tall OSR like stuff with rather paler flowers in the game mix strips on field margins.

 

[Phayze]

Dandelion wild plum blossom and crab apple blossom veg leaves in compost heap guessing just for water though on the latter

 

[snoop]

Gorse , Osr, dandelion , gooseberries & blackcurrants

 

[poshpikey]

Is gorse a good source of nectar? On the downland it seems to be permanently in flower.

 

[Erichalfbee]

We have Cherry laurel here which is in flower and I understand that it has extra floral nectaries as well that the bees use.
There is also loads of this that the bees use but it's mostly popular with the bumbles.

 

[richardbees]

Forget-me-nots and Dandelion.

I've two plum trees close to the hives and have never seen any bees on the blossom......

 

[AMAE]

Weeping willow, Berberis darwinii , Hawthorn, Plums/gages, haven't seen them working the dandelions though there are plenty also seem to be ignoring OSR a field away. Heyho!

 

[tonybloke]

wild plum, cherry, pear, hawthorn, and grape hyacinth.
bumbles on the wisteria, but honey bees can't access the flowers as they're too deep

 

[REDWOOD]

Gorse, dandelion