FORSYTHIA - Bee Plant?

[mellifera]

Hello All-

Does anyone know if bees like Forsythia? (It's that yellow bush that blooms first thing in winter/spring in areas that get winter snow.) I was looking closely at one in a neighboring town and there were no bees on it. (I don't know anyone who keeps bee there, so that could be why.) It sure would make a pretty bee plant, if bees do like it.

My bees are busy on the peach, cherry and maple trees here.

Happy Spring!

Melissa

[beemaster]

Mine are pretty well done blooming and sadly I'm beeless right now - ugh. But... In years past they have been active on the plants - near as I could tell they were packing pollen only, but I know I had a number of bees visiting them regularly. Hope that helps.

[BEE C]

I've been putting a bee garden together...forsythia is one of the earlier blooming plants up here, so i expect it to be one of the first natural sources in spring.  Do you have queen pheremone spray in your area?  Local nursuries usually sell it.  I took a course on pollinating with bees and our instructor said that farmers use it to attract bees to crops like blueberries etc to distract them from weeds and other competing flowers to ensure bees pollinate target crops.  Once bees are attracted to a plant they will come back if there is anything worthwhile there.  I used some of this spray on my walnut tree and the bees went nuts for a week.  Before that they didn't seem to be aware of it yet.  Worth a try...