Follow the Bloom 2016

[buzzbee]

It is once again time to start a new follow the bloom thread.. Hope all blooms come early ,produce heavily, and last for a good spell. Hats off to all beekeepers, new and not so new. :)
We just came through a very mild fall here in the mid Atlantic and Northeast,but winter now seems to be setting its sights upon us. It will be interesting to see how a late change of season may change the outcome in the spring.
Happy Keeping, and remember, if you need to order bees, the time will be upon us real soon!!

[Maggiesdad]

Today the bees were merrily working the broccoli side shoots that bolted... I expect these next few nights will put the quietus on that.

[KeyLargoBees]

LOL its finally "fall" here in the Florida Keys. All of our deciduous trees lose their leaves in the spring prior to putting on new growth and blossoming. I may actually have to rake in the next few days.

[BuGGy-DMC]

Just slightly north of KW on the lovely islands of Matlacha & Pine Island, near Ft. Myers, the Mango trees are starting... No nectar from them, but lots of pollen.

Some of the neighbor's citrus has started but not sure how things are out in the groves yet.

[BeeMaster2]

I am seeing yellow and gray (maple) pollen. Too many plants around here with yellow to know what it is. Probable Bahia grass.
Jim

[Costa]

Great photo of the bee busy at work with the broccoli. Thanks for sharing :)


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[KeyLargoBees]

No true single source flow in Key Largo yet but there is so much in bloom I am having to keep a close eye on space  and the ladies are filling outer brood box frames with nectar fast....With the solid brood patterns and the number of drones I am starting to see I am going to have to go into swarm control mode in the next 2-3 weeks I am tthinking. Here is a close up of one of my ladies on the Borage out in the Garden.

[DavidD]

34 F   This morning and I see this

[Dallasbeek]

I couldn't find this one, so started another.  Can you kill that thread, Ken?

[mtnb]

I think blooming crocuses in the snow count! 

Here, I'm not sure what will bloom first. I'm excited to see. Maybe dandelions in May, depending? We've had constant snow in the valley since mid-Nov. Most in 20 years.

[Joe D]

I don't know what or where they were getting it but today I saw my bees bringing in yellow pollen.  Our temps have been going from 70's for high one day to 40's high with lows in the 20's to 50's.  I saw some plum trees that were wanting to bloom, but three days this week lows have been in the 20's.  Probably will get all the early blooms.


Good luck to you and your bees,

Joe D

[mowarren]

Bees are working maple trees in SW Missouri today

[Deimos]

Here in NE Kansas, my bees have been bringing in grey and yellow pollen-likely elm and soft maple, these last two days.

[Maggiesdad]

Bees working yellow crocus, deadnettle and veronica in central VA today.

[yes2matt]

[cao]

I've got a few Easter flowers blooming.  The crocuses are going to start blooming this week.

[yes2matt]

[KeyLargoBees]

Tons of exotic landscape stuff blooming here in the Keys and the girls are laying in surplus nectar so we have something of a "flow"...the main flow from the mangroves, seagrapes, and other flowering trees is acting weird this year and seems to be delayed due to a much wetter than normal winter. We are finally in a more normal "dry pattern" so I hope we get the main flow started soon....its been a weird winter and I would like to see some normalcy ;-)

[cao]

Maples are blooming and with a near 70 degree day the bees were busy packing in the pollen.

[Dallasbeek]

We're having tons of blossoms on Bradford pears, a fruitless trash tree with weak branching habits that looks pretty, grows fast, dies early, but provides pollen and maybe nectar to our bees.  Plant nurseries promote the sale because they are cheap, grow quickly and in about 12 years they can be replaced.