Foraging temepratures

[busybeephilip]

Just looking out the window at my heather plants , Sunday 19/11/17 @ 13-45 hrs - I count at least 5 bees foraging on them and the temp is exactly 8.0 Degrees C as measured using a scientific Hannah thermocouple thermometer and it feels cold ! and no sun very cloudy

[Jambo]

Barely 7 degC here and they're not even venturing out for a crap, shame as there's a mountain of ivy 50m from the hives!

[steve]

7 degrees on the weekend and bees still bringing in pollen.

[Poly Hive]

Never saw ivy flower in Aberdeenshire so global warming must be having an effect.

PH

[fatshark]

If you read Jambo's post in a certain way it looks like (s)he wants the bees to defecate on the ivy ;)

[Jambo]

:) I'm not mad about my neighbour but haven't got to the level of willing my bees to defecate on his ivy just yet!

PH - it's my first year keeping bees and thus my first year taking much interest in the flowering of weeds, but I assume from its abundance that it is has flowered and set seed prior to this year!

[Poly Hive]

As I say never seen it flower and the only report I have ever heard of reporting a flow was by Dundee.

It flows down south right enough but very very rarely in Scotland. May provide some pollen though.

PH

[Jon]

Some years there are massive flows from ivy in NI and there is always abundant pollen. Mine were still bringing in ivy pollen at the start of this week. Well clustered today though. 2c at the moment.

[Bridget]

Yesterday it was 3 degrees and a few of my bees were putting out some bodies and then flying around till they dropped in the snow and [emoji88]. Sun was shining though.


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[The Drone Ranger]

Yesterday it was 3 degrees and a few of my bees were putting out some bodies and then flying around till they dropped in the snow and [emoji88]. Sun was shining though.


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Hi Bridget
I think you are right
When they see the sun they will venture out even below the normally suggested 10C
If they are not out long they get back in OK
Ron Brown recommended a normal style entrance with panel pins driven in at intervals to keep the mice out
They may be better than the (Thornes) hole punched metal strip type of mouse guards which can get very very cold
I have a couple of nucs up high on a shelf facing South and they are often out when the others in shadier spots are staying indoors
I'm hiding indoors myself at the moment it's pretty cold here but dry at least no snow (they land on snow and can't get off again)

[greengumbo]

As I say never seen it flower and the only report I have ever heard of reporting a flow was by Dundee.

It flows down south right enough but very very rarely in Scotland. May provide some pollen though.

PH

That's really surprising and interesting PH. When did you move away ? Ivy flowers all over the place in the bits of Aberdeenshire I've been to, i'm currently up near New Deer / Methlick, and has done for years. I first moved up to the NE in 1997 and it flowered then. Not sure about a flow mind but i've had ivy crystallise in frames before. They certainly bring back the pollen in abundance.

[Poly Hive]

At Craibstone (by the airport) the ivy never flowered in my experience and Mobus told me the same thing. I left the NE in 2006 and as far as I can remember never saw it flower until I was in the East Mids.

PH