mesquite trees and rain

[Wandering Man]

Other beekeepers down here are saying that with our recent rains the nectar flow from the mesquite trees has stopped.

We've been in a drought since the hurricane last August.  It seems backwards to me that a tree would have a nectar flow when things are dry and then stop when it rains.

Can anyone with more knowledge of trees than me tell me why this happens?

[Bakersdozen]

A heavy rain will wash the nectar out of the blossoms.  Did you say you had 11 inches?  That's a heavy rain for sure.
I also know that drought conditions will cause trees to react in a way that seems backwards.  Under drought conditions, a fruit tree can produce the largest amount a fruit far greater than previous years.  Seeds, fruit, and nectar accompanied by pollen are all ways of reproducing.  It's nature's way of ensuring the species survives.   The tree may not survive the drought but it produced a large amount of fruit with seeds and put the odds in favor of the species surviving.  Kind of like emergency queen cells.