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Author Topic: What is blooming in Central FL?  (Read 2916 times)

Offline Carol

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What is blooming in Central FL?
« on: December 11, 2013, 09:25:45 pm »
Looks like all the Asters have gone to seed...the bees are bringing in a fair amout of light colored pollen. I can't seem to find anything nearby that is blooming.

Offline RC

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2013, 10:52:49 am »
I was wondering the same thing. My bees are bringing in a good amount of pollen, but I don't know where they're getting it.

Offline GSF

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2013, 10:45:37 pm »
My bees are too and I'm in central Alabama. We've had several killing frosts and several nights below freezing. I was off yesterday and I'm like, dang! Where the heck are you getting this stuff from, red and yellow.
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

Offline marshmasterpat

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2013, 11:53:56 pm »
We have has several nights of frost here in TX, just SE of Houston.  There is quite a bit of goldenrod blooming here, crazy as it seems.  But areas that were mowed about 2 months ago and had good stands of goldenrod but not yet blooming are now about 12 to 15 inches tall and it is doing good despite the frosts.   Strange stuff. 

Offline MsCarol

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #4 on: December 15, 2013, 12:11:12 pm »
Several frosts here and a couple of hard freezes as well, but I still have dandelions blooming and a few stray buttercups. Two mornings ago it was 17°. Yesterday got up to 50°. The girls were out flying. I got my orange cap inspected. :-D (It is deer season).

Didn't stand and watch very long yesterday but a couple of days ago, they were still bringing in bright yellow as well as a pale yellow pollen.

Offline Sundog

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #5 on: December 15, 2013, 11:47:04 pm »
I asked that question a couple of years ago late in the year and I was told "The comb is yellow when they are working brazillian pepper".

What little BP remains here along the Largo coast seems to be blooming although my bees are not particularly busy.  Going down into the forties tonight, so I closed the SBB.


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Have fun!

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Moots

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2013, 12:29:30 am »
Sundog,
Cool Pic....but i'm confused.  Admittedly, I know  nothing about TBH's, I assume that's goes in a TBH, but has been framed instead of just having the top bar???  WOW! That's a mouth full, but I hope it makes sense.  :laugh:

My question, I thought the whole reason a traditional top bar hive works is because bees won't attach comb on a diagonal, hence the comb is only attached to the "top bar".  However, Obviously they are attaching the comb to the diagonal portion of your frame.  :?

What am I missing?

Offline johng

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2013, 08:30:27 pm »
Spanish needle is still blooming here. The Maples should be blooming pretty soon. Once they start the bees will really pick up the pace. 

Offline Sundog

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2013, 10:30:48 pm »
Hey Moots

That was an early experiment  with a colony cut from under a mobile home.  Normally, bees don’t attach to a diagonal wall because they think it is the bottom, but my bees soon burred the diagonal bars together and to the side walls too.  I ended the experiment soon after that photo was taken, cycled out the bars, and the TBH prospered for about a year.  It was fun, and my son and I learned a lot about handling bees.
 




Without the frames, they built comb straight and clean.  Then the bull ants got in and the bees absconded, and I gave the TBH away to another member.  My Lang is more convenient.



IMO, top bar hives are an interesting novelty and can be fun if the bees are gentle, but they are not very practical.

Still having fun

 8-)

Offline Carol

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #9 on: December 18, 2013, 12:37:11 pm »
Red Maples have started blooming here. I have a small 25'-30' tree near the hives that has started. With the binoculars I can see a few Honeybees working it. The big 60'-70' trees are just too far away even with the binoculars. They sit back in the woods 50 or 60 feet and really are not far from the hives.....in a bee line. They are so tall they get the early morning sun. My little Red Maple was started from a seedling a few years ago. Glad I did...not I can keep track.

41* here this morming and the scouts were out and about. Didn't think they flew when it was that cold....but at the top of the big Maples the sun was shining.

Offline johng

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Re: What is blooming in Central FL?
« Reply #10 on: December 25, 2013, 09:42:49 pm »
Yep! Red Maple here too. The bees have been bringing in loads of it the past two weeks.