info on major flow in my area.

[mitch]

I live on the aucilla river and have lots of palm trees but what other flows may there be. Don't have any topelo tree.and when does the palm flow start? Are there any other sources in the swamp. Do they like magnolia trees.

[Better.to.Bee.than.not]

Perhaps this document can help:

http://gardens.usf.edu/data/florida-beekeeping-calendar.pdf

Here is a response someone in florida gave a bit back, might help you also, only about 100 miles from you probably. though bees will fly up to 5 mi. or even more to get nectar, many oif the species are probably the same in your area a bit north and they will find their sources and are fairly loyal to those sources, often passing up many other sources along the way even, for a larger source they somehow have deemed better.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,5185.0.html

Apis629:

"I'm in southern Pinellas county and the flows are as follows(for me anyways):

January-February: Citrus
February: Oak (if in strong enough concentration)
March-April: Sweet clover
May-July: Palms and Palmettos (Palm started two weeks ago and palmetto is just opening up this week)/Coral Vine/Mangrove (red)
June-July: Mangrove (mostly Black mangrove but, Red will produce a little)
August-September: Brazilian Pepper (has a sligtly green color)
November-December: very few plants but minor flow will mostly come from "Spanish Needle"

The strong flows of the year will come from Citrus (if near by) Mangrove (if near by), Palmetto (if near by) and Brazilian Pepper.  Of all of these, Brazilian Pepper is the most reliable.

Oak honey will have a dark, amber color.
Sweet clover will have a color much like that on the grocery shelves.
Palm and Palmetto is slightly lighter than Sweet clover but, is extreamly "runney" and lacks the viscocity of other honeys.
Spanish needle never really creates any honey but, provides nectar and pollen for the "day to day" existance of the colony.  There's probably another 30 plants in Florida that produce the flows (depending on where you are) and, if you like, I have notes from a presentation Laurance Cutts did a few months ago that I could e-mail you.
"

[johng]

Do you have any Gallberry? Gallberry is blooming now followed quickly by Palmetto. The Cabbage palm won't start until July.

[HomeSteadDreamer]

I live in tallahassee.  I  have several plants I see the bees working.  Your area is more sandy than my area so I don't know how much of this is in your area.

They work pittosporum, ligustrum, florida betony (a weed),  dandelion, clover, saw palmetto, blueberry, titi, algerian ivy, enchinchea, crepe myrtle there are alot wildflowers that have not very showy flowers.  I hear they work poison ivy, coral bells (the red flowers vines).

If you live in a neighborhood lots of landscaping lots of those plants are also good sources.

[mitch]

Thanks for the info. We have lots of palmetto and palm trees and oaks.not sure what else blooms out here. My wife has lots of flowers but not nearly enough. A friend up the river plants a lot of clover for his food plots but I imagine they are under water right now. I will just have to see what they do.i live 30 miles to anywhere an 2 miles from the gulf.lots of swamp an refuge land .im sure there are lots of blooms around here that I don't know about. Thanks agin

[BeeMaster2]

Mitch,
Welcome to the forum. RC lives over in your area. He and his wife are on their second year. You might want to try contacting them.
Jim

[HomeSteadDreamer]

the swampy area may have titi.  It's invasive.  Of course you also have the wild cherry, and plum, redbud too. I left off holly.  Of course I think gallberry is actually in the holly family.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in848  that's a link to what ifas says are the major nectar plants but  I don't see betony on there which a florida native
spreads well and my bees sometimes choose it at the same time as clover.  Which is to say they like it.  Also has a longer bloom time than clover.  I don't know how much nectar it has but I know they work it well.

[KD4MOJ]

+1 on ligustrum. That hedge is everywhere in town. Haven't see many bees working them for some reason. I have one row between myself and my next door neighbor that is about 15 feet tall. Not many bees for the amount of flowers.

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

[HomeSteadDreamer]

Yea my bees like the privet better than ligustrum but I think it also depends on what else is blooming.  I know last year I saw them working ligustrum but this year, they are not.  But the clover and betony is blooming in my yard right now.  The holly was the one they showed the most concentrated effort on this spring followed by the privet then clover and betony. 

[RC]

Hey,Mitch. I guess you live around Nut All Rise. You have plenty of honey producing plants around there. Gallberry and palmettos are abundant in that area, as well as plenty of palms. You should do well there.
Almost anywhere there's planted pines, there's gallberry.

[swflcpl]

Saw this document today for the first time.  Probably most of the same info but it does have a bunch of graphs with different zones for the state

Bobby

[mitch]

Hey rc thanks.bees bringing in lots of pollen.so I think they are doin good . Quit feeding my new packages a couple of weeks ago. Thing are looking good here at mandalay.thanks for all the posts.

[johng]

Very informative paper swflcpl. I really enjoyed it. Thanks

[RC]

Be prepared for bears, mitch. There are plenty of them around Mandalay. I have a buddy who works with the state forestry dept. and he said he tagged four in one day right around the river.
Come to think about it, across the river, toward the Western Slews, there's a bear crossing sign by the highway. You might need an electric fence.

[mitch]

Well im not gone say I won't have a problem with bears but I think I have them in a good spot. The bears are gonna have to swim to get to them. Plus they are right out my back Window I can keep a petty good eye on them.