What are bees foraging on at present

[tommy dave 1,132]

11 hours ago, GoED said:

 This system is not stacked in the artists favour, there’s also a whole circus built around discussing art, turning it into a commodity and selling it as a commodity. You can feel a right mug if you are the person making the work. Sometimes it’s wise to withdraw from this system and just do the work as if no one will ever see it, or care.  It’s a familiar story no doubt. 

 

When the chart is complete, a solution may be to make digital images available to Forum colleagues for their own enjoyment. I have had a great deal of help from people here about the topic. People driving many miles to deliver very precious books and sending pristine rare books in the mail at their own expense, the SCION librarian printing out pivotal papers related to the topic. Incredible kindness.  Right better get back to it. I hope your pear tree is now a pleasing shape, I’ve just given our own tree crops new haircuts too

a few years back when i was five years into traveling around the place gambling for a living a cousin of mine asked me for advice about quitting her job to have a go at being a self-employed artist. I suggested she spend a month longer earning a decent wage and use that time to learn to eat well on meals based on lentils and rice fast forward seven (?) years, she's still artist-ing, i'm back to working for the man

 

anyway, i've done nothing kind to support your project, but i love how it's panning out - and look forward to buying the output if that ever becomes an option

[kaihoka 2,913]

12 hours ago, tommy dave said:

a few years back when i was five years into traveling around the place gambling for a living a cousin of mine asked me for advice about quitting her job to have a go at being a self-employed artist. I suggested she spend a month longer earning a decent wage and use that time to learn to eat well on meals based on lentils and rice fast forward seven (?) years, she's still artist-ing, i'm back to working for the man

 

anyway, i've done nothing kind to support your project, but i love how it's panning out - and look forward to buying the output if that ever becomes an option

I come from a family of self employed artists .

They have spent as much time doing minimum wage manual labour  jobs as they have doing art .

[Manfred 264]

On 10/03/2018 at 6:25 PM, Trevor Gillbanks said:

 

What are we seeing here.  

maybe propolis mesh???

On 8/04/2018 at 4:27 PM, John M said:

I had two Italian professional honey tasters sample some willow honeydew honey in Napier last year.  They thought it tasted better than manuka honey.  Guess it is all about what you are used to.  Honeydew honeys in Germany are often the product of aphids feeding on pine trees.  I have never tasted any of them though.

 

Yes, they call it forest honey it is very dark and one of the more expensive ones you can buy. 

[GoED 310]

Here’s my girls up the road foraging on what looks like an AU or SA or Mediterranean plant. Any ID?

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,672]

Plantsnap says it is Grevillia lanigera

 

Great cell phone app.  I just took the photo of the screen.

[GoED 310]

3 minutes ago, Trevor Gillbanks said:

Plantsnap says it is Grevillia lanigera

 

Great cell phone app.  I just took the photo of the screen.

Great tip thank you Trevor, Ill down load the app. 

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,672]

1 minute ago, GoED said:

Great tip thank you Trevor, Ill down load the app. 

With the free copy you only get 5 id's per day.  the premium does unlimited. But it is a pay one.

 

[GoED 310]

22 minutes ago, Trevor Gillbanks said:

With the free copy you only get 5 id's per day.  the premium does unlimited. But it is a pay one.

 

JUst tried it...My girls on a beautiful small tree up the road, same morning walk yesterday, heavenly scent...Luculia gratissima . Can be grown from a tip cutting or seed...Looks like an early winter N and P source. Not sure of the protein profile but forage at this time is better than no forage. 

Edited May 28, 2019 by GoED

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,672]

My little tip.  When using the app, Try and get a photo of the flower and a leaf.

It is a pretty good guide but not always correct.

 

[GoED 310]

5 hours ago, Trevor Gillbanks said:

My little tip.  When using the app, Try and get a photo of the flower and a leaf.

It is a pretty good guide but not always correct.

 

It’s good to have little corner of joy and calm happening in this topic... The blossoms and pollen loads and nectar gathering strategies of the foragers are endlessly creative. 

Trevor thank you for looking out for us all, a tough job at times for moderators ...and it is appreciated. Just saying.  

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,672]

2 minutes ago, GoED said:

It’s good to have little corner of joy and calm happening in this topic... The blossoms and pollen loads and nectar gathering strategies of the foragers are endlessly creative. 

Trevor thank you for looking out for us all, a tough job at times for moderators ...and it is appreciated. Just saying.  

 

All of us moderators (6) try our best.  We are just amateurs at this and are not paid in any form.  We also see things thru our own eyes with our own biases, just like everyone else.

Thanks for your kind and supportive words.

[kaihoka 2,913]

3 hours ago, GoED said:

It’s good to have little corner of joy and calm happening in this topic... The blossoms and pollen loads and nectar gathering strategies of the foragers are endlessly creative. 

Trevor thank you for looking out for us all, a tough job at times for moderators ...and it is appreciated. Just saying.  

Beautiful looking luculia .

I have struggled to propagate mine .

When do you take tip cuttings .

[GoED 310]

15 hours ago, kaihoka said:

Beautiful looking luculia .

I have struggled to propagate mine .

When do you take tip cuttings .

It smells heavenly!

Sounds like I can take them now in this coastal situation. Apparently they grow from seed too...I’d try now. I myself will hopefully try to rip from a branch so I get a heel, or strip off some leaves near to the cut end so this area also gets rooting hormone on it, and I might try to clip a T shape at the soil end, Ill stuff those in a pot with soil stick that in a large zip lock bag and put it on a sunny window ledge. If they don’t strike I will try in spring again and again in autumn.  I have cobbled together a portable greenhouse in a clear storage box which moves around the front yard snatching sunlight. Ever optimistic, winter propagation thats asking for a lot of luck 

 

 @kaihoka If i get some to strike I’ll send you a seedling/s via messaging and NZpost in spring. 

[kaihoka 2,913]

4 hours ago, GoED said:

It smells heavenly!

Sounds like I can take them now in this coastal situation. Apparently they grow from seed too...I’d try now. I myself will hopefully try to rip from a branch so I get a heel, or strip off some leaves near to the cut end so this area also gets rooting hormone on it, and I might try to clip a T shape at the soil end, Ill stuff those in a pot with soil stick that in a large zip lock bag and put it on a sunny window ledge. If they don’t strike I will try in spring again and again in autumn.  I have cobbled together a portable greenhouse in a clear storage box which moves around the front yard snatching sunlight. Ever optimistic, winter propagation thats asking for a lot of luck 

 

 @kaihoka If i get some to strike I’ll send you a seedling/s via messaging and NZpost in spring. 

Good luck .

I have never had any , and I have plenty of broken branches from cicada damage .

I never thought of seed.

Never had any luck with tibouchina either .

However I have lots of different coloured angle trumpets if you want them .

The bees often show interest and pollinate them .

They have a lovey smell  in the evening .

[CHCHPaul 421]

We’ve got numerous gum trees breaking into flower around the valley. But probably getting too cold in CHCH for the nectar to flow. 

 

Anyone know if the nectar will be given up? Both white and red gum flowers. 

[M4tt 4,929]

53 minutes ago, CHCHPaul said:

We’ve got numerous gum trees breaking into flower around the valley. But probably getting too cold in CHCH for the nectar to flow. 

 

Anyone know if the nectar will be given up? Both white and red gum flowers. 

Yes they will be collecting the nectar , no doubt . 

[CHCHPaul 421]

4 hours ago, M4tt said:

Yes they will be collecting the nectar , no doubt . 

 

Cool. I’m extracting today (I know it’s late) and my home hives did a pretty poor job at making honey this season. Now, of course, they’re blasting... even though we are getting frosts! Go figure. Must have northern hemisphere bees. 

[yesbut 6,085]

Don't give that gum honey to anyone who's friendship you value

[CHCHPaul 421]

I had imagined that it would be delicious.

[jamesc 4,293]

3 hours ago, yesbut said:

Don't give that gum honey to anyone who's friendship you value

So what about an Aussie ?

[john berry 5,147]

Winter  flows are a mixed blessing. Around here you could get a full box of eucalyptus honey over the winter in a good year but it is hard for the bees to dry the nectar out which can cause damp hives and Nosema problems ,plus you can lose a lot of bees to the cold when a cloud comes between them and the sun.Honey flows over winter also cause the Queen to lay all winter which will prematurely age her to some extent and  increase the amount of varoa in a hive. Every hive is different and every winter is different but in general really strong hives can do pretty well and weaker hives tend to just fizzle out.

Edited June 4, 2019 by john berry
Talking to the cat using Dragon NaturallySpeaking

[yesbut 6,085]

1 hour ago, jamesc said:

So what about an Aussie ?

You knock their socks off with some (Rukuhia) Waikato White Clover

[dansar 5,433]

Wattle has started flowering around Putaruru and South Waikato. Some was flowering over Edgecumbe , Matata way a month a go. So now there is a mix of Gorse and Wattle pollen going in to hives. Populations increasing, food stores decreasing rapidly.

[kaihoka 2,913]

1 hour ago, dansar said:

Wattle has started flowering around Putaruru and South Waikato. Some was flowering over Edgecumbe , Matata way a month a go. So now there is a mix of Gorse and Wattle pollen going in to hives. Populations increasing, food stores decreasing rapidly.

Have you had winter yet .

Do you think we are going to have one ?

[Oma 451]

Bees loving the hazel pollen during these still warm days