Tomato Plants

[Scadsobees]

I agree, I love hearing the bees in the maples in early spring, watching them on the apples and cherries!

Many people think, however, that they need to provide food for the bees, and think that they need to plant a half acre or even an acre of something to keep the bees alive, and while it certainly benefits them, for the most part unless you have a lot of hives and a lot of acreage/time, it is not usually necessary.

The best plants for bees are the usually the ones incidental to us.  Trees, invasive groundcover (sweet clover, knapweed, knotweed) are the best :(.

[Countryboy]

There are 43,560 square feet in an acre.
The borage recommended seeding rate is 15 pounds of seed per acre, and approximately 24,000 seeds per pound.  75% is a common germination rate.

plants/acre divided by plants/ pound = pounds/acre

1 acre = 130 pounds of honey

You assume all the flowers produce nectar.

Using facts goes a lot further than blowing smoke and hot air.

I agree with you that planting for bees is probably a waste of time and money,

I have heard that if you want to plant a crop and make honey from it, you should plant at least an acre.

Trees, invasive groundcover (sweet clover, knapweed, knotweed) are the best

Excellent point.  Honeybees are not native to North America.  Many plants native to North America do not produce much nectar.  Many of the invasive plants are from other continents and those plants were adapted to producing a lot of nectar to attract honeybees to pollinate them.

[kingbee]

Honestly, unless you have extra time and money, don't worry about the forage around. 

Depending on which "expert" you quote, one bee colony may work an area of between 8,000 and 50,000 acres, or 12 to 80 square miles.  That is a lot of flower seeds to plant, thin, weed, and hoe.  But if you enjoy watching your own little corner of Eden bloom, by all means knock yourself out.

[Countryboy]

Depending on which "expert" you quote, one bee colony may work an area of between 8,000 and 50,000 acres, or 12 to 80 square miles.

It's been shown that for most nectars, at a little bit over 2 miles, bees expend more energy in flight than they gain from the nectar.  Bees work the closest stuff first - and will only travel the long distances to obtain nectar if none is available near the hive.

A 2 mile flight radius covers roughly 12 1/2 square miles, which is roughly 8,000 acres.

[Acebird]

Bees work the closest stuff first

An logic says that the more you have for them close by the faster your honey yield will be attained and the longer they will live and the less likely they will want to leave.

[rdy-b]

Bees work the closest stuff first

An logic says that the more you have for them close by the faster your honey yield will be attained and the longer they will live and the less likely they will want to leave.

  Actually bees work the bloom with the highest sugar content -and they maintain FORAGE FIDELITY
 they go for the best pay day and will pass up sub-par sources intil; thats the best they can find-RDY-B

[Kathyp]

yup.  they work what they want to work.  they'll skip what looks good to you and is close to them, for something a mile away. 

[Acebird]

Actually bees work the bloom with the highest sugar content -and they maintain FORAGE FIDELITY
 they go for the best pay day and will pass up sub-par sources intil; thats the best they can find-RDY-B

Wouldn't you... it is pretty easy to see what they like.

[BjornBee]

Order dandelion seed by the pound. Talk a walk around the neighborhood and every so often, you throw a handful and let them blow in the wind.  :-D

[brooksbeefarm]

Here in SW. Mo. they are packing in the pollen off the soft Maples and Willow trees,and nectar off of a little blue flower down under the dead grass, the bee is about four times bigger than the flower. :? Jack

[edward]

Order dandelion seed by the pound. Talk a walk around the neighborhood and every so often, you throw a handful and let them blow in the wind.  :-D

When you start beekeeping you see weeds in a different light  :-D

It also makes gardening allot easier when you have a reason not to pull out the weeds  :-D


mvh edward  :-P

[Countryboy]

When you start beekeeping you see weeds in a different light

Honeybees are not native to North America.  Dandelions are not native to North America.  Many weeds that bees like are invasive weeds that are not native to here.

It really does make you look at weeds in a different light.

It also makes gardening allot easier when you have a reason not to pull out the weeds

You look at weeds differently if you eat the weeds too.  For example, dandelions were brought to North America as a garden plant to eat.

[BjornBee]

Order dandelion seed by the pound. Talk a walk around the neighborhood and every so often, you throw a handful and let them blow in the wind.  :-D

When you start beekeeping you see weeds in a different light  :-D

It also makes gardening allot easier when you have a reason not to pull out the weeds  :-D


mvh edward  :-P

Ain't that the truth!

I see bees as a real positive.
 
While I know some harp on the negative that "Honey Bees" are not native, to which I sometime scratch my head at the reasoning of bringing this up all the time, as if those stating these facts are some "purist" chest pounders.....I must remind folks, that many of us are not "native" either. And although I see the bees as beneficial, I can't say the same thing of all folks. Maybe some of them should make themselves "native" again, and leave.....  :lau:

[hankdog1]

Order dandelion seed by the pound. Talk a walk around the neighborhood and every so often, you throw a handful and let them blow in the wind.  :-D

When you start beekeeping you see weeds in a different light  :-D

It also makes gardening allot easier when you have a reason not to pull out the weeds  :-D


mvh edward  :-P

Ain't that the truth!

I see bees as a real positive.
 
While I know some harp on the negative that "Honey Bees" are not native, to which I sometime scratch my head at the reasoning of bringing this up all the time, as if those stating these facts are some "purist" chest pounders.....I must remind folks, that many of us are not "native" either. And although I see the bees as beneficial, I can't say the same thing of all folks. Maybe some of them should make themselves "native" again, and leave.....  :lau:

hahahaha amen to that  :-D :evil: