Kitchen Garden Forum

Down our way, they've been very active all week. Daytime temperatures have been in the early to mid 20's for a week and the garden in full of bees.

There seem to be a larger proportion of Mason & other solitary bees this year. I have a pair of small Oxford Bee Company nests and at "rush hour" there are usually 2 or 3 at a time queueing up to inspect the tubes.

How are your bees getting on, around the country?

They have been very busy around our fruit bushes and trees hopefully pollinating well!

Quite a lot in the garden and on the allotment. Hope it continues

Can't say I've noticed vast numbers around - maybe slightly fewer bees and other pollinators than usual. That said, the pears and plums have already lost some of their petals showing set fruit developing. Hope the apples are as successful.
And what masses of blossom there have been this year!

It is only a couple of weeks since the Queen Bumble Bees of one specie were looking for nest sights so guess they will appear in due course but there are plenty of Mason Bees and other Bumbles Bees in evidence here. Honey Bees seems to have diminished this year so far but I have Oilseed Rape in bloom not too far away and suspect that they have been drawn there.
As Alan says there really is a mass of blossom this year and I have some Cox's Orange Pippin trees that are absolutely smothered. Never seen so much blossom on these trees. I gave them a good summer pruning last year so this is maybe why.
I have been on the go since 4am and the temperature then was 48.8F and as dawn was approaching we had the classic example of the temp dropping towards dawn and the coldest was 41.2F at 6.15am and now the temp is rising again and now at 6.45am it has gone up to 43.6F.
Not low enough to do any damage but certainly getting down to a frost which would cock it all up at this stage of the proceedings.
JB.

So if the fruit has set will a frost affect it or is it just if the tree is still in blossom and the flowers damaged.

We have lots of plums and greengages already set so i was hoping they would be OK.

Hi Sue,
When the fruit has set you are in the laps of the gods when a frost occurs. If the set fruit is about three weeks old the damage is limited but here we have some years with a wonderful set and the frosts will have a 100% kill and we get no fruit at all.
JB.

It's good to see that it's not just the wildlife that's getting up early now that Spring's really here.

As for the points raised by JB & AR, I've seen a complete mixture including normal honey bees, Mason & Blue Mason bees, a Carder bee (lots of yellow on each flank) plus a range of magnificent & varied bumble bees.

The funny thing is my Mason bee hive is right by the back door and there's been a steady stream of bees coming into the house (maybe the were aiming for the hive & overshot.....)

Hi Colin,
Remember that my Mason Hives were attacked by Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers and I then tried exclude the woodpeckers and the Mason Bees didn't like it and they now live under my lounge somewhere as they are very busy flying in and out through a broken vent. I was going to repair the vent and noticed the bees going in and out and this is now their third year so they obviously like where they are.
There are about five or maybe six types of Bumble Bee around on the plot. When the lavender comes into bloom they cannot resist it and it is generally a very good indication as to what is about.
JB.

There are a lot of bees around here at the mo. And my hubbie has just found a wild honeybee nest, although they look like a beekeeper has lost a swarm rather than a true native wild honeybee. Going to have a word with the local farmer and see if she minds me putting one of my nuc boxes up there to hopefully catch a swarm from it.

I was getting concerned how few there seemed to be around on lottie this year particularly seeing the chive flowers are out - until my neighbour reminded me that the farmer behind has planted rapeseed for the first time this year. Anyway I'm hoping that's where they all are anyway.

Westi

My husband was moving a pile of straw that was protecting a tender plant when he found it had been colonised by a nest of bumble bees. As much straw as ppossible was moved without disturbing the nest and will be left where it is until the bees move on.

plenty of solitary and mason bees, plus a variety of bumbles, a very satisfactory hum around the cane and bush fruit, the pear cherry and apple has small fruit on it , and the blackcurrant lots of green pea sized fruit.
Pray we don't get a hard frost.
Johnboy apparently coal tits raid bumble bee nests too, the bees probably feel safer in our garden we have cats!

Very few honey bees about at the moment, but luckily there are quite a few small bumble bees here.

No sign of the honey bee nest in the Church roof this year.

Hi OH, yes the plight of the honey bees is sad. All bees need a varied diet, from mixed pollen sources, sadly most modern farms give them monoculture and ship them around for our convenience, not surprising we have a problem. It gives me great pleasure to see our local bees foraging with bulging pollen sacs