Bradford pear

Doorman · May 22, 2006, 12:53:26 AM

Does anyone have any idea if bradford pears produce enough nectar or are attractive to bees?

TwT · May 22, 2006, 01:00:08 AM

bradford pairs are one of the first things that bloom here in the spring, they are very good for pollin and have some nectar, bee's love them....I have planted about 10 of them and the bee's cover them ever spring... good tree for bee's...

Hi-Tech · May 22, 2006, 01:14:28 AM

twt,

What about pecan trees?

TwT · May 22, 2006, 01:17:47 AM

Quote from: Hi-Techtwt,

What about pecan trees?

sorry Hi-Tech, never seen a bee work a pecan tree, they dont bloom as for as I know, they might could make propolis from it.... have a couple but never seen a bee near them...

Hi-Tech · May 22, 2006, 01:20:19 AM

They have these pollen pods so I thought the bees might enjoy the pollen... :roll:

TwT · May 22, 2006, 01:26:04 AM

they may hi-tech but I have never seen one but to be honest I have never looked really at the pods..

Hi-Tech · May 22, 2006, 01:31:17 AM

Who knows? Evertime i think about something they may like, the local beeks tell me different. I saw bees on wild garlic the other day. i bet that would make some delicious honey... Garlic flavored!

Michael Bush · May 22, 2006, 08:26:34 AM

I have a huge pear tree (not bradfords) in the apiary. While I get more pears since I brought the bees out here, I never see the honey bees on it. But that's because the plums are blooming the same time and they have more sugar in the nectar and they are all over the plums. If nothing else was blooming I'm sure they'd be all over it for the pollen if not the nectar.

TwT · May 22, 2006, 12:56:04 PM

my plums usually bloom about 2 week after the bradford pairs bloom, the bee's bring in so much pollin during the bradford pairs bloom I dont have to feed pollin pattie's, they can fill a hive with pollin fast... good tree's

COLVIN · May 22, 2006, 03:40:05 PM

DON'T KNOW FOR SURE ABOUT PECAN TREES BUT I HAVE SOME CHINKAQUPIN TREES AND HAVE SEEN 100'S OF BEES ON THE TOSSLES THEY PUT ON AND THEY LOOK JUST LIKE THE PECAN TOSSLE. COLVIN

Doorman · May 22, 2006, 05:32:00 PM

thanks twt. I think I'll try to get my bees up to speed a little earlier next year to take better advantage of the trees. ours usually bloom during the latter half of February. sometimes earlier.