Daffodils

[nemphlar]

Firther to the great daffodil debate, best day of the year so far and 4 hives piling in yellow pollen, not single bee on the daffodils. 2weeks ago they were fighting over them, guess they only use them when they can't fly far.

[drumgerry]

Mine continue to ignore the daffs and are working on the pear blossom at the moment (well not right now as it's 10.15pm but you know what I mean!)

[madasafish]

Thousands of daffs here. Lots of pussy willow in flower. guess which the bees do not look at : the "wandered lonely as a cloud..."

[gavin]

.... a host of golden pussy willow?!

Lots of queen Bombus terrestris out and about, and peacock butterflies, all enjoying the willow. Just the people enjoying the daffs.

[Jon]

One of our allotment people Rab is the Irish Amateur Daffodil champion. He was round at the house to collect a couple of dozen discarded wine bottles which I offered him for putting his show daffodils in. He currently uses milk bottles but apparently the stems are too long for the bottles. He has 5 fridges in his garage full of cut flowers which he enters in local and English shows. He hand pollinates daffodils and keeps records which would put bee breeders to shame. He has confessed to paying £120 for a single dutch bulb. He swears that my bees work his daffodils and he is a man highly unlikely to confuse the narcissus fly (http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.david.element.ukgateway.net/flies18hoverflies12_files/image004.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.david.element.ukgateway.net/flies18hoverflies12.htm&h=428&w=553&sz=24&tbnid=ifU2IVg_QWingM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=124&zoom=1&docid=hPXq8GiICj4NsM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3A5yT5e5PIKX0QX93oz9Dw&ved=0CFcQ9QEwBw&dur=2675) with a honeybee.
There are people out there who take daffodils very seriously.

[madasafish]

.... a host of golden pussy willow?!

Lots of queen Bombus terrestris out and about, and peacock butterflies, all enjoying the willow. Just the people enjoying the daffs.

lol

Judging by the pollen inside the hives - mostly bright yellow - there is a LOT of pussy willow pollen around.. Floors below the mesh were covered in 2-3mm of it...

Lots of pussy willows growing wild on waste ground about 1 km away...

Not seen a bee on daffs.. Lots on early heather.

(and an amazing number of ladybirds - few last year - hundreds this)