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Author Topic: Sunflowers and bees  (Read 6666 times)

Offline annette

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Sunflowers and bees
« on: March 28, 2007, 01:45:08 pm »
My dear friends,

Hearing talk of sunflowers being dangerous for bees??? My hives are on a friends property and he plans on growing sunflowers this summer. Just a few plants in his huge garden and orchard.

I do not need a scare just now. What are you all feeling about this. Are they safe for bees?? I always thought sunflowers and bees went together.

Thanks for the help
Annette

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2007, 02:35:18 pm »
Where did you hear that?

I always heard sunflowers make some pretty good honey. They need pollinators to pollinate real well. But I think the leaf cutter bee is suppose to be a better pollinator  of the sunflower. And I have never seen any of my bees on my sunflowers.
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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2007, 02:38:11 pm »
I could be wrong about the leaf cutters.......

http://www.beeculture.com/content/pollination_handbook/sun.html

From this article, and perhaps why Sunflowers are bad for bees;

"Khalifman (1959) stated that heavy honey bee visits to sunflowers not only increased seed set but also limited the damage by the sunflower moth (Homoeosoma nebulella Denis & Schiffermuller), a delayed effect called hysteresis. Martin (1968) considered H. electellum (Hurst) the most serious pest of sunflower in South Carolina. Teetes and Randolph (1970) stated that the period of greatest sunflower moth oviposition was the third to sixth day after the sunflower head began to bloom. This is when the pollinating agents should also be at their peak; however, the use of insecticides highly toxic to honey bees is recommended for this same period. Both control of this harmful moth and the use of insect pollinators are necessary for production of sunflower seed. Unless the programs are so arranged that both are successful, seed production is doomed to failure. "
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Offline Scadsobees

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2007, 02:53:45 pm »
I'm not sure, but I read about bees *possibly* dying from pollinating commercial sunflowers because of trace pesticides on the seeds.

I don't think that consumer sunflower seeds are treated this way, and even if they were, only a few plants wouldn't provide sufficient to do any harm to people or bees.

I've had a few large sunflowers, and there are lots of bees, bumbles, earwigs, and moths(at night) that like to get the nectar.    I really enjoy them.  So do the bees.

Rick
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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #4 on: March 28, 2007, 02:56:29 pm »
I'm not sure, but I read about bees *possibly* dying from pollinating commercial sunflowers because of trace pesticides on the seeds.

I added something to my earlier post.
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Offline Mici

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2007, 03:26:31 pm »
i've been to a beekeepers trip to hungary, the only honey they produce is acacia, now i doubt you know how ladnscape of hungary looks like, i could post a picture but basicly...eeeendleeees fields of corn, wheat or sunflowers, anyways, they take advantage of sunflowers instead of winter feeding.

Offline abejaruco

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2007, 04:46:29 pm »
Quote
now i doubt you know how ladnscape of hungary looks like, i could post a picture but basicly...eeeendleeees fields of corn, wheat or sunflowers, anyways, they take advantage of sunflowers instead of winter feeding.

Well, if I am not wrong they are going to be E.U members. Or perhaps they are? (I don´t watch the news usually). Being european growers you will not see endless fields of corn, wheat or sunflowers any more. Basically they will receive money if they are ecologic, ecologic, production is not interesting.

Offline Mici

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #7 on: March 28, 2007, 05:19:15 pm »
hehe abejaruco, you got me there, i almost forgot that i probably compared it a bit too much with out landscape, around here there are no areas to which your eye can't see :-D. so, those "endless" fields are these:


ok, i must admit i saw bigger ones and all, but just didn't take pictures, to bad

yeah they're in the EU (for what reason, i do not know)

Offline abejaruco

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #8 on: March 28, 2007, 05:36:16 pm »
I have to add that any decades ago I remember great honey production from the sunflower, an exageration of honey. The seeds were Russian varieties (few oil 30-40 %, and abundant nectar), after that came the hybrids seeds, (>60 % oil, and few nectar), and systemics insecticides. And the PAC or CAP (communitarian agrarian policy) closing the "chiringuito", the business.

I am worried, because the next step will be a great golf course. You can´t imagine how many cases with 500 € bills came from Northern Europe.

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Spain's government said yesterday it had ordered an investigation into how the country was soaking up a quarter of one of the world's largest denomination bank notes, the €500 (£345) bill.
With tax officials and the Bank of Spain unable to explain where all the notes were going to, the country's ample black market and many money-launderers became the chief suspects.

The €500 notes are popularly known in Spain as "Bin Ladens" because like the al-Qaida leader, everybody knows they are around but hardly anyone has seen them.


Offline reinbeau

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2007, 05:36:37 pm »
My dear friends,

Hearing talk of sunflowers being dangerous for bees??? My hives are on a friends property and he plans on growing sunflowers this summer. Just a few plants in his huge garden and orchard.

I do not need a scare just now. What are you all feeling about this. Are they safe for bees?? I always thought sunflowers and bees went together.

Thanks for the help
Annette
Annette, see this thread.  The bees love the sunflowers.  I think what you heard is something like what the others said, that sunflowers get sprayed, which is dangerous for the bees.  If you're growing them in your own garden you won't have a problem.

Offline abejaruco

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2007, 05:56:18 pm »
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i've been to a beekeepers trip to hungary

When will be a beekeepers trip to Spain? ;)

I have to recognized that I still have not crossed the French Alps.
I know Portugal and France, and England because my father sent me to learn English being a child (a failure, I can´t understand how I could come back to Spain). :roll:

Offline Mici

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #11 on: March 28, 2007, 06:15:37 pm »
wait, correct me if i'm wrong, 1/4 of ALL 500€ bills ended up in Spain? viva espania! :lol:
most of them came from (you said north) but probably meant east europe right? and now criminal investigations are being conducted?

with that trip i was pretty lucky i must say. hehe 1 year as a beekeeper and there was still room on the bus so off i go, not to mention for the cost of peanutts!
but i must dissapoint you in advance..if not on a holiday trip, i doubt i'll ever see spain, although my job opportunities list is still empty ;) we'll see how life goes...
if i became a beekeeper 2 years ago, i'd surelly cheer for spain as the prom holiday destination, Cadiz of course :mrgreen:

Offline ZuniBee

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #12 on: March 28, 2007, 06:19:45 pm »
Spain is very beautiful and a great country. My wife is from Spain and I visit Zaragoza regularly.

Offline tig

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #13 on: March 28, 2007, 07:50:02 pm »
thats strange....i get a very good honey harvest from sunflowers and my bees have never suffered any bad effects from foraging on them.

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #14 on: March 28, 2007, 10:32:36 pm »
thats strange....i get a very good honey harvest from sunflowers and my bees have never suffered any bad effects from foraging on them.
This is a misunderstanding.  There is no problem with bees working sunflowers for honey.  It's when the sunflowers are sprayed with insecticide that problems develop.  If you grow your own sunflowers and don't spray them (they don't need spraying as far as I can tell) you'll be fine.

Offline abejaruco

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #15 on: March 29, 2007, 02:02:25 am »
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If you grow your own sunflowers and don't spray them
Totally right, I only wanted to add that when if you are going to buy sunflower seed for growing you have to ask two points:
Has to be free treatment-insecticide seed. The toxic systemics insecticides are usually adds to the seeds.
Information about the variety: you can find thousands of commercial varieties. And probably any of them will be more favorable than another ones.

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My wife is from Spain and I visit Zaragoza regularly

Zunibee: If your wife is from Aragón (aragonesa), you are a lucky man. Nice to read you!


Offline Scadsobees

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #16 on: March 29, 2007, 09:42:02 am »
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now i doubt you know how ladnscape of hungary looks like, i could post a picture but basicly...eeeendleeees fields of corn, wheat or sunflowers, anyways,

What?  Is Hungary in EU or is it in Nebraska??!!!  I've been there, and if that is what Hungary looks like, then I know.  I bet Hungary is much, much shorter to drive through, though... :-D
Rick

Offline Mici

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #17 on: March 29, 2007, 10:47:04 am »
What?  Is Hungary in EU or is it in Nebraska??!!!  I've been there, and if that is what Hungary looks like, then I know.  I bet Hungary is much, much shorter to drive through, though... :-D

i'm not sure if i understand the first part, but nevermind.
anyway, yeah hungarians are experts in making roads shortet (they seem shorter that way), you've got like this...millions of flat square kilometers yet the road keeps making turns :roll: :lol:

just received a mail from my beekeeping society, another trip to hungary in less than a month! 21. of april for only 50€, lunch, dinner  and everything included!
oh abejaruco, i forgot to mention, why the trip was to hungary and not to spain, ermmm hungary is like "close"

Offline abejaruco

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #18 on: March 29, 2007, 12:07:43 pm »
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just received a mail from my beekeeping society, another trip to hungary in less than a month!

Really beekeeping in Hungary has to be very interesting, or... has your beekeeper organization lost something in Budapest? :evil:

I have been reading the map and from Liubliana to Budapest (I don´t know the name of another cities) is 150 Km shorter than the higway from Cádiz to Madrid.

Now I am going to study the route from the French Alps to the "new" Europe (Hungary and Slovenia). I know the way from Cadiz to the "french conexion" to Italy and Swiss...1900 Km along highway, 24 hours tripping + -.

I say "new europe" because I am learning while speaking with you. Sorry your country has been in the dark side too much time. :)

Offline Mici

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Re: Sunflowers and bees
« Reply #19 on: March 29, 2007, 05:03:44 pm »
i wouldn't know, as i understand last years trip was the first trip to another country, guees they mostly liked it.
also, anything different as to what we are used to is different. the hives are nothing what we or you are used to, neitheer is the technik, they solely focus on acacia honey.

it's said what you said, about the dark side, but you are darn right! god darn Yugoslavism/socialism/komunism

i could write about it for hours, but you'd probably get bored and wouldn't wann come this way. :)

my cousin was in spain last year, i think on some cooking trip or something, don't knopw exactly, i just know he was there for a whole month and his job was to gut fishes in some factory :-X not the best job in the world i'd imagine, probably in the north spain