Author Topic: Sunflowers  (Read 6354 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Yankee11

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1412
  • Thanked: 27 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Central Arkansas
Sunflowers
« on: July 26, 2014, 03:01:37 pm »
I just noticed a field (looks like about 50 acres) within a 1/4 miles of a out yard I just set up, 6 hives. It appears to be Sunflowers.

I think Sunflowers are nectar producing, right?

Offline LazyBkpr

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 6842
  • Thanked: 205 times
  • Gender: Male
  • www.outyard.net
    • The Outyard
  • Location: Richland Iowa
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2014, 03:03:56 pm »
Yes they are.  Might be worth finding out who owns it in case he is going to spray.. you can screen up for a few hours during and after the spraying.
Drinking RUM before noon makes you a PIRATE not an alcoholic!

*Sponsor*

Offline Yankee11

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1412
  • Thanked: 27 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Central Arkansas
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2014, 03:20:22 pm »
I'll ask around.

I just read that they produce nectar all day.

Offline efmesch

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1696
  • Thanked: 201 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Israel
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2014, 04:54:28 pm »
Sunflowers also produce a lot of pollen.  You might want to place some pollen traps out.  Not only to collect pollen but to prevent the storage cells from getting plugged up with excess pollen.

Offline Riverrat

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2169
  • Thanked: 56 times
  • Location: oxford kansas
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2014, 05:43:18 pm »
sunflowers grown for there oil produce tons of honey. Be prepared the honey will crystallize fast.  As for spraying usually the late sunflowers they dont have to spray, at least not around here.  The early crop they spray for head moths.
"no man ever stood so tall as one that  stoops to help a child"

Forum Supporter

Offline Bamabww

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 343
  • Thanked: 4 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Moulton, Alabama in the Fairfield community
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2014, 08:10:37 pm »
I just noticed a field (looks like about 50 acres) within a 1/4 miles of a out yard I just set up, 6 hives. It appears to be Sunflowers.
Jackpot! Congrats and good luck. Should be a good harvest.
Wayne

Offline apisbees

  • Global Moderator
  • Gold Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 3723
  • Thanked: 331 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Vernon B.C.
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2014, 03:08:20 pm »
Yankee Are your missing is a couple of hundred hives with all the good forage you have around you and in the short term maybe a bunch of honey supers for the bees to store the crop in.By the way I love seeing pictures of sunflower fields in full bloom.
Honey Judge, Beekeeping Display Coordinator, Armstrong Fair and Rodeo.

Offline Yankee11

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1412
  • Thanked: 27 times
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Central Arkansas
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2014, 03:21:28 pm »
I'll sure take some if this is what it indeed is. It's only about knee high right now.

I have about 36 supers out right now and 10 more to build this week. I'm not sure these will make it without having to be be extracted and set back out.
We'll see.

Everything around here gets irrigated, beans, cotton etc.

Offline mamapoppybee

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 363
  • Thanked: 3 times
  • Location: Oklahoma
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #8 on: July 28, 2014, 10:27:08 am »



all kinds of bees are dawn to them. I see these little pollinator bees and bumbles on them mostly. My honey bees seem to prefer my squash plants to them. I suppose we all have our preferences.

Offline Riverrat

  • Gold Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2169
  • Thanked: 56 times
  • Location: oxford kansas
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2014, 06:00:21 pm »


all kinds of bees are dawn to them. I see these little pollinator bees and bumbles on them mostly. My honey bees seem to prefer my squash plants to them. I suppose we all have our preferences.

That looks like a wild sunflower.  Wild sunflowers produce a lot of Pollen and very little nectar.  The Cultivated sunflowers are the ones that will produce a boat load of honey
"no man ever stood so tall as one that  stoops to help a child"

Forum Supporter

Offline Beeracuda

  • Senior Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 122
  • Gender: Male
  • Location: Lorena, Texas
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #10 on: August 02, 2014, 10:18:36 am »
About the only thing blooming around here is the wild sunflowers.  They are all along the roadsides and there are several acre size patches in the pastures around our house.  The girls seem to bee bringing in more nectar and not just pollen.  We shall see if we get a little honey out of this!

Offline Jen

  • Platinum Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10175
  • Thanked: 240 times
  • Gender: Female
  • Location: Upper California
Re: Sunflowers
« Reply #11 on: August 02, 2014, 02:24:11 pm »
Yankee- "I think Sunflowers are nectar producing, right?

     Oh Man! What I would do for a whole field of sunflowers. When I take my morning walks I pass by many vege gardens with sunflowers, MY bees are All Over Them! That makes this girl very happy   ;D
There Is Peace In The Queendom