Author Topic: Sunflowers?  (Read 2988 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline 40 Acre Bees

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 211
  • Thanked: 12 times
  • Location: Chester Basin, Nova Scotia Canada
Sunflowers?
« on: September 01, 2014, 05:54:20 pm »
We planted a patch of sunflowers (300-400 plants) this year, about 200 feet from our hives.  Most of them are now in bloom, but our main visitors seem to be the bumble bees.  We have only seen one or two of our girls visiting them.  Is this normal and are sunflowers not a big attraction for the honey bee? 

Offline brooksbeefarm

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2566
  • Thanked: 89 times
  • Location: fair grove, mo.
Re: Sunflowers?
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2014, 06:10:34 pm »
Not all Sunflowers attract bees, there are many types. Jack

Offline Perry

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 7382
  • Thanked: 390 times
  • Gender: Male
    • Brandt's Bees
  • Location: Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
Re: Sunflowers?
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2014, 06:46:19 pm »
A friend gave us 4 plants that were a foot high at the time. The goldfinches and honey bees are all over them.
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."      
Forum Supporter

Offline Riverrat

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2169
  • Thanked: 56 times
  • Location: oxford kansas
Re: Sunflowers?
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2014, 07:20:00 pm »
Depending on the sunflower.  If you are growing the commercial sunflowers that are used for there oil. Nees will work them to death for there nectar.  Other sunflowers like the wild sunflowers do not produce much nectar but lots of pollen.
"no man ever stood so tall as one that  stoops to help a child"

Forum Supporter

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Gold Member
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: Sunflowers?
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2014, 08:16:01 pm »
I moved a few hives into blooming sunflowers, and they were THICK in that sunflower patch. But thats because it was a new spot and the sunflowers were the first thing they discovered.
   What you may have, is another nectar source the bees are focusing on..  If they have something that is producing well for them they will not change until that source begins to fail. Your sunflowers may be fantastic, but if the bees found a field of Lavender that started blooming in June, and will continue to bloom until September it will take an act of god to get them to switch to the sunflowers.
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline riverbee

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 8924
  • Thanked: 410 times
  • Gender: Female
  • ***Forum Sponsor***
  • Location: El Paso Twp, Wisconsin
Re: Sunflowers?
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2014, 10:16:51 pm »
40 acre, what jack and riverrat said.......
i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
Forum Sponsor

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: Sunflowers?
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2014, 11:23:17 pm »
Jack- "Not all Sunflowers attract bees, there are many types. Jack

      This would be worth a google

Scott- "If they have something that is producing well for them they will not change until that source begins to fail.

       I see this in my own yard and back alley where I have plants that bees are supposed to love. Often times it's into Oct before they hang around the yard and clean up the local plants.
There Is Peace In The Queendom

Offline JUDELT

  • Regular Member
  • **
  • Posts: 78
  • Thanked: 1 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Eastover,SC
Re: Sunflowers?
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2014, 02:38:18 pm »
I read the best varieties to attract honey bees are the lemon varieties; Lemon Queen, etc.

Offline Marty68

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 237
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Vancouver Washington
Re: Sunflowers?
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2014, 09:44:08 am »
Lemon queen sunflower?