Honey Production Surges across Texas

[Meadowlark]

Some good news on pollinators.

"People are paying more attention and being more mindful of spraying pesticides in their yards."

MSN

 

[Oliver Buckle]

As a leading light in the beekeepers association my brother used to travel to places like Asia and West Africa to promote and teach honey production as an extra source of income. He made all his gear himself, a beesuit made from a white boiler suit, a 'top hat' of cardboard with a veil made from an old spark guard, even a smoker made from the wing of a crashed car. On one visit to West Africa he was induced to take part in a procession for publicity dressed in his gear. He said the locals were all fairly small guys, Martin was well over six foot, and with his hat and veil on towered over everyone. He said it attracted quite a good crowd to attend his lecture

 

[GardeningBoy]

Some good news on pollinators.

"People are paying more attention and being more mindful of spraying pesticides in their yards."

MSN

That’s great!

 

[Logan]

Some good news on pollinators.

"People are paying more attention and being more mindful of spraying pesticides in their yards."

MSN

That's great news, I've never used insecticides in my garden.

 

[Tundra20]

that is great news im gona do more nxt spring with flowers i would like to get couple hives going just have to see i had lots of bees this past summer

 

[oneeye]

To be honest I think with all the cuts in the government the mosquito spraying was limited this year. Not one time did I hear about West Nile spraying this year. The mosquito's were here all Summer too. I have seen a decline in my honey bees for the past 20 years from all the Government spraying. Every year I would see 100s of honey bees and then the gov would spray they would be all gone. The only bees that were left were the big giant yellow bumble bees with the big black stingers. I personally think spraying is all scam to keep people calm.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

t farmers Every year I would see 100s of honey bees and then the gov would spray they would be all gonen

They should at least warn bee keepers so they can close their hives, fruit farmers do here. Mind, I think the overestimate their importance. they would pay me to put hives in an orchard that was in bloom when I am sure that the majority of pollination on open flowers like that is done by flies of various sorts, and the honey told me the bees were flying up the road to the oil seed rape field.

 

[Meadowlark]

Here at the ranch, the favorite target for honeybees seems to be the white clover. At times, they are so thick it is difficult to walk there.

The larger bees we call bumble bees really go after the flowers in my pollinator garden big time but the honeybees not as much.

 

[big rockpile]

I know they like my Borage.

big rockpile

 

[Tundra20]

thats awesome i have alot here too cant get my pic to load but i have bee balm and they everywere

 

[roadrunner]

I've said this before on this site, but it needs repeating, because I've never seen anything like this before. Honeybees love (I mean really LOVE) the flowers of Cassava. However, you have to go out early in the morning, around Sun rise, after that they go visit the other plants.

When I go out and get near a Cassava plant in the early morning, it sounds like a swarm of bees and that's what I thought it was when I first heard them buzzing around a large Cassava.

 

[big rockpile]

I’m going to plant Bee Balm and few other things. Right now they are liking Coneflowers and Borage.

big rockpile

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I've said this before on this site, but it needs repeating, because I've never seen anything like this before. Honeybees love (I mean really LOVE) the flowers of Cassava. However, you have to go out early in the morning, around Sun rise, after that they go visit the other plants.

When I go out and get near a Cassava plant in the early morning, it sounds like a swarm of bees and that's what I thought it was when I first heard them buzzing around a large Cassava.

I remember going for an early morning walk once and finding a field maple tree like that. I had a couple of hives just up the road and almost every flying bee from them must have been on it about 6am.
Flowers produce nectar different times of day, had a farmer tell me that dandelions were useless to bees once, "I walk the orchard first thing every morning and have never seen a bee on one." Dandelions don't make any nectar until just before noon, then they make plenty.

 

[Meadowlark]

Observing butterflies and bees can shed a lot of light on the variability of nectar production in plants. It is a highly complex interaction.

I'm low on this learning curve but have seen definite signs of variable nectar production in plants. Nectar output can be influenced by pollinator activity and vice versa. Time, temperature, moisture influence nectar production also but seemingly in different ways in different plants.

Why do certain pollinators go to certain plants at certain times while ignoring other plants. It is highly complex subject...but nectar production variability is real.

 

[dirty hands]

Last year my yard was full of bees and butterflies.
This year im not seeing any.

I thought it might be the long cold winter then an early warm up that felt like summer for a month then back to artic weather. Not really sure though.