Clover in full bloom, not one bee

[BeeMaster2]

Update, bees are starting to visit the clover. Not in large numbers but they started using it.
Jim Altmiller

[Oldbeavo]

Has the temperature risen?
We have white clover down here but is at its best as Spring warms up, October here, April for you??

[BeeMaster2]

Oldbeavo,
Yes it has but then it dips back down again. Last week it was warm, Sunday, the highs were in the low 50s all day and then we were in the 80s Monday and Tuesday.
Jim Altmiller

[FloridaGardener]

Is there anywhere you can plant Carolina Laurel? It's native everywhere in the Southeast.  It needs no water. In fact, it's a little invasive where there IS irrigation.

It'll flower after two years, and grow 20-25 ft high in 4 years into a multi-trunked tree-shrub. 
It's covered with flowers just after red maple.  Absolutely dependable.  Birds eat its berries, and it self-sows.  Little disease on leaves.  Perfect for farmland.

We get a massive flow from it.  That's the flow that causes swarms right now.  I picked up swarms on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday this week. One was mine, where I missed finding QCs.  But I caught the swarm, and moved it 5 miles.

[Ben Framed]

Along with what was suggested above, there are other things that you can plant that produce much nectar. One for instance is Brazilian Pepper.  From the information I have gotten from a fellow in Florida, this is a major (big) additive for flow, Plus he says This plant makes an excellent honey. You might want to check into this and see if it meets your hopes? I looked this plant up and it does very well all the way up past St Johns, over to  Santa Rosa. I would think it would do well in your area. You might consider planting it in intervals along your fence line area? This way it would not really take up much of your pasture area? There are probably many other plants that will give you a greatly need boost in your area..... Just food for thought.

[BeeMaster2]

Phillip,
Brizilloian Pepper is a highly invasive non native plant. Florida has been fighting to eradicate it for decades. We definitely do not want to be planting it here in florida.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

Oh well. So much for that.

[Acebird]

Phillip,
Brizilloian Pepper is a highly invasive non native plant. Florida has been fighting to eradicate it for decades. We definitely do not want to be planting it here in florida.
Jim Altmiller

I spent a week cutting it down and pulling the stumps out a fence line.  No way to get it all.

[Ben Framed]

Phillip,
Brizilloian Pepper is a highly invasive non native plant. Florida has been fighting to eradicate it for decades. We definitely do not want to be planting it here in florida.
Jim Altmiller

I spent a week cutting it down and pulling the stumps out a fence line.  No way to get it all.

Spectracide when not in bloom will do it.

[Acebird]

For a 50 ft tree?

[Ben Framed]

For a 50 ft tree?

Up until now I did not know very much abort Brazilian Pepper except what the Florida Beekeeper said about good for bees. I just looked up a couple sites and:  Found in both shrub and tree form, it can often reach heights of greater than 30 feet.  So if in shrub form it should be easy to contain with Spectracide? Each to his own choices. I was trying to help since Jim seems to be in a bad spot when it comes to flow. I withdraw the recommendation regardless of nectar.😊

[BeeMaster2]

Phillip,
The only reason we don?t have Brazilian Pepper here is that our winters are to cold. Otherwise we would have tons of it.
Jim Altmiller

[Ben Framed]

Phillip,
The only reason we don?t have Brazilian Pepper here is that our winters are to cold. Otherwise we would have tons of it.
Jim Altmiller

Have you done much investigating of other plants that may be of great help in your area? If so what did you find?

[van from Arkansas]

Spiraea is a great bush for bees, drought resistant and solid bloom in Spring.  A bit off subject, hope you don?t mind Mr. Jim.

[FloridaGardener]

I second that motion on spirea.  Bridal wreath spirea is absolutely gorgeous and fragrant too.  Can take the acidic soils of pinelands.

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp558
[attachment=0][/attachment]

https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp558

Needs space -
Height: 4 to 8 feet
Spread: 4 to 8 feet

[BeeMaster2]

We have planted a lot of fruit trees over the years, very few have survived. Most of our property is used for grazing. We have to bee careful about what we plant. Many plants are poisonous to cows and horses. I had to bush hog 37 acres to kill a lot of rattlebox, I just fenced in last year, and wait for it to die before I could let the cows on it. I was letting it grow for the bees until I found out that it was poisonous to animals. They will definitely eat it and in 30 days of eating it they will die. Most trees planted in the fields never make it because the cows and horses eat them.
Jim Altmiller

[Acebird]

For a 50 ft tree?

Up until now I did not know very much abort Brazilian Pepper except what the Florida Beekeeper said about good for bees.

Southern FL is a different world.  The only thing close to it in the US is Hawaii.  And like Hawaii it has a lot of invasive species that are not natural to the landscape.  Pretty much the best you can do is contain it.  You will never eradicate it.

[Bill Murray]

Jim, try Wisteria it provides good forage for your bees, grows well and easily maintained. mine is alive with swarms of bees every year. The 1st bloom is just about over. depending on weather conditions,  some years it blooms twice although not as hard the second round.

[BeeMaster2]

Bill,
Yesterday I found several wisteria bushes in bloom on the property that I just added last month.
Jim Altmiller

[Bill Murray]

Jim, Something else I planted were wild oranges, completely inedible. I know that sounds weird but they do well with the frost, bloom every year, dont look to bad in the front lawn, and the day buds start to knot is the day I put bait supers on. The only downfall is the cleanup of the fruit when it drops.