Bee-friendly plants

[Trog]

Some lovely photos here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17073830

[Calum]

hi
the neidersachsen farming and forestry ministry have a presentation to encourage farmers and the general public to plant bee friendly flowers, its big and in german but brilliant photos! (http://www.ml.niedersachsen.de/download/64196/Leitfaden_Bienen_brauchen_Bluetenvielfalt.pdf)

[Bridget]

There was a piece about this research in the BBC programme tonight about introducing flowers suitable for pollinators to the big city parks - meadows instead of geraniums and busy lizzies. Very interesting series. I hadn't realised how pollinators shun the modern hybrids with all the pollen etc bred out of them. I shall be looking for some bee friendly species for my hanging baskets and troughs this year. The meadows they planted were wonderful although they had some failures in Birmingham.

[Feckless Drone]

Hi there - cleared out a hedge and this appeared. A tree/shrub about 12 feet in height. The large flowers attract honey and bumble bees. I don't have a clue what it is but would like to find out and propagate. Any suggestions?

[greengumbo]

Hi there - cleared out a hedge and this appeared. A tree/shrub about 12 feet in height. The large flowers attract honey and bumble bees. I don't have a clue what it is but would like to find out and propagate. Any suggestions?

Hey FD - we have one like that. Its a tree peony. Quite nice but short flowering times. Bees love it !

[Greengage]

https://www.kelways.co.uk/product/paeonia-lutea-var-ludlowii-tree-peony/59/

[Feckless Drone]

Thanks folks - Tibetan tree peony. From what I read it is so hardy and easy to propagate that even I have a chance with it.

[fatshark]

Just back from a week in Andalucia where the fields and hedgerows were awash with wildflowers, a positive riot of colour, and you couldn't go anywhere without the constant buzz of bees (and other insects) of all sorts busy at work on them.

Lots of wild peonies in the cork oak forests ... stunning.

In contrast ... a 10 minute walk yesterday afternoon (a lovely day) in North Fife demonstrated how relatively sterile the environment here is ... a handful of bees (investigating a bait hive of mine), no butterflies, no incessant drone of insects and almost no hedgerow flowers. Depressing.

[Greengage]

Having worked in the Horticulture industry this does not surprise me.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/garden-centres-selling-bee-friendly-plants-pesticides-harmful-neonicotinoids-a7734516.html

[fatshark]

Andalucia

2822

though, depressingly, the only apiary I saw was abandoned with robbed out hives, only one of which still contained bees. Over the last 3-4 years this apiary has got more and more run down and is now clearly no longer being used. Not much evidence of Varroa resistance here :(

2823

Anyone know what sort of hives these are? Hinged roof, smaller than a Langstroth, not square, usually with upper entrance only.

[Greengage]

We have Echiums growing at the moment they are like McDonalds for pollinating insects and Allium 'Purple Sensation' lots of bees foraging on them at the moment also the chestnuts are in flower so busy Bees here.

[Feckless Drone]

Andalucia

Anyone know what sort of hives these are? Hinged roof, smaller than a Langstroth, not square, usually with upper entrance only.

"Layens type"? https://pcela.rs/beekeeping_Spain.htm

[fatshark]

"Layens type"? https://pcela.rs/beekeeping_Spain.htm

Thanks FD ... that's precisely what they were. Interesting quote in the link "The government is trying to persuade beekeepers to change [from Layens] to either Langstroth hives or Dadant types". It made me wonder whether there were financial inducements and the consequences of our government trying to do the same thought of thing here. Can you imagine the response to Andrea Leadsom saying "Thou shalt use Langstroths" or "Warre and Sun hives are now illegal"?

[Feckless Drone]

Can you imagine the response to Andrea Leadsom saying "Thou shalt use Langstroths" or "Warre and Sun hives are now illegal"?

Hold on to that thought - then, imagine her saying "Langstroths and buckfast bees": how about we have a referendum?

[madasafish]

Anyone who wants me to go AMM and National can sit in the naughty corner.