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Are at the height of bee foraging season?

 
Cj Sloane
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Would you say the flowering of Black Locust & Black Berries marks the height of the bee foraging season? What do they forage for next?

My project thread
Agriculture collects solar energy two-dimensionally; but silviculture collects it three dimensionally.

 
Topher Belknap
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Last year at this time, my bees were just getting installed. So they did all of their major foraging after this time. They made it through the winter just fine, and are now bursting at the seams of my topbar hive.


Thank You Kindly,
Topher

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Cj Sloane
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So Topher, what were they foraging on?

My project thread
Agriculture collects solar energy two-dimensionally; but silviculture collects it three dimensionally.

 
Michael Cox
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Lime (Linden/basswood) trees are just about to flower here - around 3 weeks after the black locust in our garden.

The bees go absolutely nuts for it here, and will forage almost exclusively on it for two weeks or so. We have around 50 massive limes within 400m of my hives. Lime honey is also some of the nicest I've ever had.

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Judith Browning
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All of our non fruiting persimmon flowers are buzzing with honey bees at the moment....the fruit bearing persimmons bloom just a bit later and extend that forage to a few weeks. happy bees....although I think the rains are interfering with their fun

That might be considered the peak forage for them here in the Ozarks...blackberry is over, and from now on it will be more variety. They are working our vetch now also....

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Cj Sloane
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Michael Cox wrote:Lime (Linden/basswood) trees are just about to flower here - around 3 weeks after the black locust in our garden.

The bees go absolutely nuts for it here, and will forage almost exclusively on it for two weeks or so. We have around 50 massive limes within 400m of my hives. Lime honey is also some of the nicest I've ever had.



I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for it. There's a version native to New England. It took me a year to find Black Locust on my property after hearing Ben Falk extoll it's virtues. I've since found some really big ones, 80+ feet it was hiding till we felled some maples.

My project thread
Agriculture collects solar energy two-dimensionally; but silviculture collects it three dimensionally.

 
Topher Belknap
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Cj Verde wrote:So Topher, what were they foraging on?



Clover, Coneflower, Lilies, Daisies, Golden Rod, Japanese Knotweed, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Butterfly bush, plus presumably many things off my land.

Thank You Kindly,
Topher

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Cj Sloane
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Topher Belknap wrote:
Last year at this time, my bees were just getting installed. So they did all of their major foraging after this time. They made it through the winter just fine, and are now bursting at the seams of my topbar hive.



That's kind of amazing actually, assuming Maine had the same horrible rainy season Vermont had!

I've been chalking up the amazing expansion of my brand new hive on the excellent weather (and possibly a few hundred acres of undisturbed forest).

My project thread
Agriculture collects solar energy two-dimensionally; but silviculture collects it three dimensionally.

 
Cj Sloane
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Activity in front of the hive has dropped dramatically. The hive is jammed packed with bees and the weather has been fine. Are we now at the mid-summer low of bee foraging season? If so, when does it pick up again?

My project thread
Agriculture collects solar energy two-dimensionally; but silviculture collects it three dimensionally.

 
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