Catalpa a nectar source?

greenbtree · March 27, 2011, 02:55:53 PM

Is Catalpa a nectar source?

JC

AR Beekeeper · March 27, 2011, 03:30:01 PM

Catalpa produce nectar here in Arkansas. Usually there are not enough trees in a specific area to get supers of pure Catalpa, it is mixed in with other sources.

AllenF · March 27, 2011, 03:48:24 PM

They hit our trees real hard.

brooksbeefarm · March 27, 2011, 05:39:45 PM

I have 5 catalpa trees, and some years they work them hard and some years i won't see a honey bee on them. :? Jack

sc-bee · March 27, 2011, 05:43:57 PM

It all depends if they have found a better source blooming at the time. Or another source that bloomed first.

AllenF · March 27, 2011, 06:08:20 PM

You really gotta remember that bees have to hit 2 million flowers to make just 1 pound of honey.

dean0 · March 27, 2011, 07:32:39 PM

Besides being a nectar source, the Catalpa tree is also a good fish bait source. In the early 70's, I spent a summer with my grandfather and we caught a mess of bluegills using nothing but the worms from a Catalpa tree. It is one summer I will never forget.

AllenF · March 27, 2011, 08:15:07 PM

We use them for catfish. Still have 4 bags in the freezer left from last year that just got to be used. May just have to go fishing.

brooksbeefarm · March 27, 2011, 08:46:39 PM

I'm with AllenF,that is why i planted the catalpa trees,is for the worms. No better channel catfish bait i know of, for trottline, jug fishing, and rod an reel fishing. I have about 300 hide in my wifes freezer now. :-D Jack

greenbtree · March 28, 2011, 02:53:07 AM

Cool. I have volunteer Catalpa springing up here and there. I guess I will leave them be, especially since I am walking distance from the river here....

JC

Bamabww · March 28, 2011, 03:14:27 AM

I have a "Catawba" (what Lawrence County, Alabama folks call them) tree in my back yard. In my ignorance, I at first tried to kill all of the worms when they started defoliating my tree. I was complaining about the worms eating all the leaves and an old timer told me the worms were very good fish bait. I replied I still didn't like them stripping the tree bare. He told me unless they strip the tree from time to time it will not bloom. Bloom? Since I had always killed the worms the first time I saw any present, I had never seen my tree bloom. The next time I saw them I let them strip the tree and the next spring it was full of beautiful white blooms and some of the most fragrant around.

I stocked a pond on the farm with catfish and found out he was right about them as a bait also.

As far as a nectar source, all I know is the bumblebees really like it.