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Author Topic: Sunflower fields.  (Read 19780 times)

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Offline Jen

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #40 on: August 09, 2014, 12:37:41 am »
Nice short read there Scott ~ and interesting enough, it has occured to me with my pink honey, that if I get pink honey in next season, I just may have to move my hives out of my yard. How am I ever going to find the dyed hummer feeders in this neighborhood/town? it is the only year that this has happened tho.

Or, I could split next year and put those hives on the outskirts of town and leave these hives where they are and just let the bees deal with pink food.  Pink food for thought  :D
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Offline Jen

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #41 on: August 09, 2014, 01:00:54 am »
Scott- "Jens PINK honey  I would put that up on the shelf so I could giggle at it for the next 20 years.. and think of Jen!

       :-[

Scott- "I'll send you some Mrs. Jen. PM me your addy again.

      Why Thank You Kind Sir, then I will have only 46 more states to go  ;) 8)
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #42 on: August 09, 2014, 05:39:45 am »
As Iddee stated More Supers! The process the bees take in collecting, storing, converting, and ripening honey. It is possible to limit the collecting ability of the bees by not providing enough room for the factory line process of converting nectar to honey. The bees will slow the nectar collecting to focus more time on ripening the honey that is in the hive and slow the intake of nectar into the hive. The bees need access to thousands of cells so they can add a few drops of nectar to each then ripen it before adding a little more. With an intense flow the bees could need almost a medium super of area for nectar ripening. Watch and when they are storing little bits of nectar in the cells along the bottom of the frame across 6 frames it is time to add the next super.
Love the last picture you posted. What do sunflowers look at?
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Offline Yankee11

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #43 on: August 09, 2014, 10:53:54 am »
I was tongue and cheak about the one super. BUT, thanks for explaining that Apis as that is what I am seeing in the cotton fields. Everything I stack on top of the hives is getting worked with in days. Now I know not to wait until the super is full or almost full before adding the next one. I placed empty supers on Wed, foundation ( as I am out of pulled comb) and they are already pulling it and adding nectar as they pull. Thanks, now I know why.

As far as what the Sunflowers look at? Hmm. these are looking straight at the Hives :)

I actually had to make a tough decision on these hives. I try to face my hives to the east so the first morning sun shines in the entrances, but I could not resist facing these hives directly at the Sunflowers.

As a bee, what a view to see, sitting on the front porch having early morning coffee (nectar), thinking about the day ahead.
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #44 on: August 09, 2014, 11:27:47 am »
Quote
I was tongue and cheak about the one super. BUT, thanks for explaining that Apis as that is what I am seeing in the cotton fields. Everything I stack on top of the hives is getting worked with in days. Now I know not to wait until the super is full or almost full before adding the next one. I placed empty supers on Wed, foundation ( as I am out of pulled comb) and they are already pulling it and adding nectar as they pull. Thanks, now I know why.
The readiness of the bees to pull comb is a condition that is being brought on by the bees not having a place to store the nectar when it is being brought in and they are forced to hold it in there honey stomachs. I often wonder how much production we actually miss due to under supering, this being said if one lives in an area of small hive beetles and wax moths be cautious of providing to much unused space.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #45 on: August 09, 2014, 11:49:40 am »
The reason they are called SUNflowers is because their head will follow the rotation of the sun all day long. In the morning those big flowers will be facing the east, then end up facing the west in the evening.
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Offline Yankee11

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #46 on: August 09, 2014, 10:46:23 pm »
Yea,
my wife went to work Friday morning and drove by there. She called me and asked how they got all the flowers to face the same direction. I told her to home the same way and tell me what she see's.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #47 on: August 10, 2014, 01:54:27 am »
It's the coolest thing about sunflowers. How in the world do they do that? those seed heads are heavy ya know? fascinates me ~
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #48 on: August 10, 2014, 05:32:34 pm »
Quote from: Jen on August 09, 2014, 11:49:40 am
The reason they are called SUNflowers is because their head will follow the rotation of the sun all day long. In the morning those big flowers will be facing the east, then end up facing the west in the evening.
I wonder do they get whiplash at dawn when the sun appears on the horizon?
But seriously this is the same reason the wood that we buy twists. the side of the tree that is in the sun twists to try to stay in the sun. Once the tree is cut and as the lumber shrinks the cells pull together and this causes the tension that causes the boards to shrink.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #49 on: August 10, 2014, 05:44:18 pm »
Apis-"I wonder do they get whiplash at dawn when the sun appears on the horizon?

    Snarking... LOL... Oh Now See, that proves I'm a one trick pony thinker...  it didn't occur to me that the seed head would have to move back to the east the next morning. They must start a 4-5am to get back over facing the east... blows my mind... I know, it doesn't take much..  :D
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Offline Yankee11

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #50 on: August 12, 2014, 04:57:13 pm »
I know I've a lot of these pictures but I can't get enough . They are farther along today.

The hives are crazy, they are in a frenzy mode. All 4 of them. I have got to get some super extracted soon, these things are going nuts. It's like flipping a switch. Larva, eggs, pollen, nectar.















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Offline Jen

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #51 on: August 12, 2014, 05:02:37 pm »
Holy Schmoly Guacamole!! Look at those bees just covered in pollen! I personally will NEVER tire of these sunflower pics, keep them coming. 
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #52 on: August 12, 2014, 10:08:59 pm »
 :photos: !!!!
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Offline Yankee11

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #53 on: August 13, 2014, 08:26:47 am »
What was funny yesterday. I have 6 more hives just the other side of interstate from these sunflowers (less than 1/4  miles). And they had a extra empty super that they were not working yet. I ran to grab them yesterday to stick on these hives.

Nope, to late, these 6 hives have discovered the sunflowers. Guess what was in the pulled supers.
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Offline lazy shooter

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #54 on: August 13, 2014, 08:38:38 am »
Yankee:

Please let us know how fast your bees are filling supers on this most excellent forage?  Sunflowers are a viable crop where I live.
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Offline Yankee11

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #55 on: August 13, 2014, 09:00:58 am »
So far, I set hives out there wed and thursday night last week. Moving the hives I noticed the weight of them. Not very heavy.

I checked all the upper deeps yesterday, Most every cell was full of either nectar  or eggs/larva. I lived hives and they were heavy. T have foundation in the super and they are pulling and filling as they go. hasn't been 7 days yet.

I have extract this Sat and will be setting empty pulled comb on them. Then we will know for sure.

But they have filled the deep frames in less than a week.
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Offline apisbees

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #56 on: August 13, 2014, 10:24:40 am »
Very nice Yankee
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Offline JUDELT

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #57 on: August 13, 2014, 12:38:31 pm »
Wow! Makes me want to plant some next year! love the bees covered in pollen!
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Offline Jen

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Re: Sunflower fields.
« Reply #58 on: August 13, 2014, 01:39:20 pm »
I planted sunfloweres in a wine barrel this year, Love Them!
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