I was reading in another forum and they mentioned before the honey flow a few times. How do you know when a honey flow is about to start?
Certain species of plants have pollen, some nectar. When plants w/ abundant nectar become available, your area has a flow. The bees come back to hive w/o pollen in their baskets, flying lower to ground b/c they're weighed down w/ nectar(or water). They will begin to store nectar. It looks like a liquid in an open cell. Overtime they will cap it w/ wax.You'll see it glisten before its capped. Pollen looks like colored dots w/o a cap in a cell. Some early season plants/trees that usually indicate a flow are dandelion, black locust, white clover. I'm sure others will add to list. If your lucky, you may have multiple mini-flows, w/ larger seasonal flows.
The question is how do you know it is BEFORE the flow. If you have to do something before the flow, how do you know when that is. When you start seeing nectar brought in then the flow is on. When is BEFORE?
sometimes a year is just not enough. i guess it's not really possible to tell if you haven't observed hte neture around you before..or is it?
Quote from: Jerrymac on March 01, 2007, 11:01:35 AM
The question is how do you know it is BEFORE the flow. If you have to do something before the flow, how do you know when that is. When you start seeing nectar brought in then the flow is on. When is BEFORE?
Good Point!-
The calander and good observations of other plants and animals to tell you the flowere/tree you are waiting for to bloom is about to bloom. In my locale, forsythia blooms and spring striper run(ocean temp 51F+). Also, my state offers a list of aprox. pollination dates when certain plants will bloom on the NJBeekeepers site. Ask a local beek.
Every year, plot on a calendar when things bloomed and when you saw a heavy flow and what you think is blooming at the time.
Here, in town, the main flow hits about the 1st of June. Here, in the country, the main flow hits about the 14th of June. But some years are different depending on the weather.