Beefriendly 1,254 Posted December 10, 2017 Share Posted December 10, 2017 Oops.. how cilia of me now where is the red face Tilia, should have googled that. That’s exactly what it is! Thanks @frazzledfozzle, @Mummzie@Trevor Gillbanks Ive always been disappointed it doesn’t have the lovely red berries left hanging after the leaves have fallen.....There’s one further along the road that does.... 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Beefriendly 1,254 Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 (edited) Cuphea ignea The bees have been busy for days now on this.... they are happily sharing with the bumble bees Edited December 29, 2017 by Beefriendly Plant name 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Springer 0 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Can anyone tell me what flower/tree this is ,large tree lots of loose bark .. 1000s of bees in it for last couple days Link to post Share on other sites
BeeGirl 118 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Good year for clover flowering in the southland area this year - my bees are loving it We haven't had much rain and I've noticed the bees are gathering around the edges of our sheep troughs, more so this year than in the past, to get the water that they need. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwi Bee 589 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Too dry in Auckland, kind of "flow over" this season. Link to post Share on other sites
CraBee 1,748 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 1 minute ago, Kiwi Bee said: Too dry in Auckland, kind of "flow over" this season. Yes that has been my concern from about a week back, and after peering in a few hives since it looks like its very slow. And the bees have switched into robbing mode so that is not a good sign either. We are due for some rain early in the New Year so heres hoping that juices things up again. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 6,233 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 1 hour ago, CraBee said: And the bees have switched into robbing mode so that is not a good sign either. What exactly are you seeing to think this ? Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 1 hour ago, CraBee said: Yes that has been my concern from about a week back, and after peering in a few hives since it looks like its very slow. And the bees have switched into robbing mode so that is not a good sign either. We are due for some rain early in the New Year so heres hoping that juices things up again. I am concerned about what happens in a month. Everything is flowering early . Including the white rata vine , my Feb flow, it's flowering now . With all the extra migrant hives around till April it could be a robbing nightmare . Link to post Share on other sites
CraBee 1,748 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 3 minutes ago, yesbut said: What exactly are you seeing to think this ? A bunch of things: - Bees trying to get into the shed (honey / wax / sugar etc etc inside) when they haven't previously, - Bees trying to get into the extraction plant when I dropped the last boxes off just before X-mas when they hadn't on a previous visit, - When opening hives removing supers etc bees trying to get into them. - Bees packing up, saying their good-byes, getting ready for the journey down to see @kaihoka :-) 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 48 minutes ago, CraBee said: A bunch of things: - Bees trying to get into the shed (honey / wax / sugar etc etc inside) when they haven't previously, - Bees trying to get into the extraction plant when I dropped the last boxes off just before X-mas when they hadn't on a previous visit, - When opening hives removing supers etc bees trying to get into them. - Bees packing up, saying their good-byes, getting ready for the journey down to see @kaihoka :-) No no no You keep your bees under control. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Emile Wilmar 13 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 wellington saw a crazy season for rata, 1 of my hives at my parents house was bustling during the kamahi/rata flow and both of the hives were very busy during the pohutakawa flow, we're coming to the end of that now so the bees forage seems to be diversifying. The main things im seeing them work are the remaining pohutakawas in flower, the next door neighbours lavender which they seem to love (but its a certain type of lavender that always seems to have a lot of bees around it), parsely and fennel, and ive even spotted bees on a few nikau blooms, has anyone seen many bees on nikau palms before? do nikau palms give the honey a nice flavour? Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Yes I have seen bees all over nikau flowers. Have you got pure rata honey. I had big plans for pure rata honey on such a flow. I kept the kamahi out of it but the bees have mixed it with something else light and sweet . It may be clover. The honey is not water white like rata. But a local beek told me you can only get pure rata down the west coast where that is the bees only choice . Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 4,928 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 We put the last load of bees onto the west coast rata last night. The red is awe inspiring.... at midnight is was still humid and 19 c so all we can do now is wait for that big rain maker from up north to sweep down and pummel it." 1 Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 26 minutes ago, jamesc said: We put the last load of bees onto the west coast rata last night. The red is awe inspiring.... at midnight is was still humid and 19 c so all we can do now is wait for that big rain maker from up north to sweep down and pummel it." the rata here is in its last stages of flowering. is it just starting there ? i have noticed that the bees ignore the rata flowers unless they are dry. i do not think the coast will get the rain that bad and a decent sou west on saturday will dry out. Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwi Bee 589 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Lots of bees buzzing on magnolias. It looks like there is not too much nectar available in my area. Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 4,928 Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 29 minutes ago, kaihoka said: the rata here is in its last stages of flowering. is it just starting there ? i have noticed that the bees ignore the rata flowers unless they are dry. i do not think the coast will get the rain that bad and a decent sou west on saturday will dry out. It's been flowering for a few weeks now ..... better late than never. It's always a juggling act between Christmas, New Year and Bees. Evryone either wants holidays or time off at the wrong time . But then, June is no time for swimming at Shag Rock eh. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 4 hours ago, jamesc said: It's been flowering for a few weeks now ..... better late than never. It's always a juggling act between Christmas, New Year and Bees. Evryone either wants holidays or time off at the wrong time . But then, June is no time for swimming at Shag Rock eh. Ok Where's shag rock ? Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 4 hours ago, jamesc said: It's been flowering for a few weeks now ..... better late than never. It's always a juggling act between Christmas, New Year and Bees. Evryone either wants holidays or time off at the wrong time . But then, June is no time for swimming at Shag Rock eh. Do you get pure rata honey. You know the white stuff that sets like kremelta.? Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 4,928 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 4 hours ago, kaihoka said: Do you get pure rata honey. You know the white stuff that sets like kremelta.? Shag Rock ..... is on the Selwyn river up at Whitecliffs .... a deep hole with a large willow overhanging and a rope to swing on .... mostly cold but you get over it !! The Rata is white , not quite as white as the snow we had the other day ...... foklore tells that where we are one year the bees gathered over 200 tonnes of the stuff. Folk lore being folklore , it grows with time. And what the heck is kremelta ? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Philbee 4,675 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Clover and Kanuka are the order of the day here The season is panning out exactly as I expected Very poor early bush crop and a solid summer pasture crop. This year I will treat earlier though as I found a mite in an alcohol wash yesterday and where there is one mite there will be more Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 4,928 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Yes mr phil .... I did have a thought today as we did our rounds that we should start to have a look at the mite situation in the bees. I don't need to get caught with my pants down ... again. Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 1 hour ago, jamesc said: .... . And what the heck is kremelta ? http://www.shopnz.com/kremelta-coconut-shortening-xidp256599.html You know .what you made choc crackles with when you were a kid . 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 4,928 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 3 minutes ago, kaihoka said: http://www.shopnz.com/kremelta-coconut-shortening-xidp256599.html You know .what you made choc crackles with when you were a kid . Oh ..... I did'n eat much choc as a kid, boarding school and all that .... so i'm still none the wiser Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,976 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 2 hours ago, jamesc said: Oh ..... I did'n eat much choc as a kid, boarding school and all that .... so i'm still none the wiser It's solid white coconut oil. Sorry you missed out on choc as a kid . I hope you are making up for it now . 1 Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 4,928 Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 3 minutes ago, kaihoka said: It's solid white coconut oil. Sorry you missed out on choc as a kid . I hope you are making up for it now . Ah no .... I prefer curry . 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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