The Honey Factory

[Apis mellifera]

Anyone have any recommendations for perennial herbs for honeybees?

Anise Hyssop and Allium (chives/bunching onions) are both very good.

 

[Sally PB]

So far, the bees are not interested in my onion flowers. Maybe the flowers aren't "ready" yet?

 

[R2elk]

So far, the bees are not interested in my onion flowers. Maybe the flowers aren't "ready" yet?

Or there are other things more appealing to them. Right now mine are concentrating on the Russian olives but that bloom is nearing its end. At least one hive is concentrating on yellow sweet clover.

I have elderberries blooming and today is the first I saw a honeybee on them and only one.

 

[Sally PB]

The only thing I see them on is the white clover. Hubby mowed today, and left several spots alone.

I want to put in a clover bed. Right now, it's grass, mostly brome. I don't know if I can get clover established.

The 10 New England Aster plants I bought a month ago are looking better now that nothing is chewing on them. I doubt they'll bloom this year, but I'm doing my best to get a good stand going.

 

[R2elk]

The only thing I see them on is the white clover. Hubby mowed today, and left several spots alone.

I want to put in a clover bed. Right now, it's grass, mostly brome. I don't know if I can get clover established.

The 10 New England Aster plants I bought a month ago are looking better now that nothing is chewing on them. I doubt they'll bloom this year, but I'm doing my best to get a good stand going.

Honeybees love clover whether it is the white Dutch clover or the white or yellow sweet clover. The sweet clover makes an awesome light colored honey. Unfortunately sweet clover is a biennial that blooms the second year and is done. Where my grass has really established itself, it has choked out the sweet clover.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

My Italian bees taught the Ducknagers some respect today:
First they discovered some dead bees under the hive, then they knocked at the hive-boxes and enjoyed the sudden buzzing from inside. Despite me warning and shooing them away they would come back for that new "game".
When they tried to snatch some unsuspecting bees from the entrance, the hive had enough… Though birds are pretty well protected through their feathers, duck's feet are not!
Today the ducknagers learned how to jump three feet up and six forward without using their winglets…
Myself and the grownup dux required fresh underware.

 

[nao57]

So far, the bees are not interested in my onion flowers. Maybe the flowers aren't "ready" yet?

If you water your garden plants more, you will see an uptick in bees. Its weird but it seems to work.

 

[nao57]

Bees are so much fun. XD Seriously. I just love seeing the beehives and the yards. I've been lucky I haven't lost this, even though I'm not a newbie anymore. I've also run into some people their 'spiritual' place like to pray was back in the beeyard.

 

[nao57]

My Italian bees taught the Ducknagers some respect today:
First they discovered some dead bees under the hive, then they knocked at the hive-boxes and enjoyed the sudden buzzing from inside. Despite me warning and shooing them away they would come back for that new "game".
When they tried to snatch some unsuspecting bees from the entrance, the hive had enough… Though birds are pretty well protected through their feathers, duck's feet are not!
Today the ducknagers learned how to jump three feet up and six forward without using their winglets…
Myself and the grownup dux required fresh underware.

That's so weird. I had ducks to but my ducks never messed with the bees. Everything worked. I suppose anything can happen. You know I also noticed in watching youtube bee videos that there were a lot of people that when they had bees they also had ducks! XD

 

[Sally PB]

If you water your garden plants more, you will see an uptick in bees. Its weird but it seems to work.

We had half an inch of rain two days ago...