# General beekeeping > Everything and anything >  September nectar flow?

## fatshark

My bees in mid-Fife have found some balsam somewhere and are tucking it away nicely. Those in St Andrews have no HB in reach but have clearly found something. There's a range of pollen coming in and some have part-filled a super in the last 7-10 days with something or other.

Any idea what's about at the moment? The RBWH has long gone and it's too early for ivy.

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## wee willy

Loads of Balsam North West England !


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## Feckless Drone

> Any idea what's about at the moment?


In Dundee there looked like a flow was on at the weekend and not balsam, pale yellow and light brown pollen - seems a bit early for ivy, this time of year could be Gordonia, or look out for action on the gum trees. Are the Fife bees near the botanic gardens?

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## fatshark

Pale yellow and light brown ... could well be (I'm colourblind). I had to look up Gordania, thanks.
St Andrews bees could reach the botanic gardens if they tried so that's a possibility. 
I drove alongside part of the River Eden yesterday and it was awash with HB. Anyone with bees in the valley should be doing well.

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## gavin

Gordonia pollen looks to be orangey yellow.  From someone's Flickr account. 



I was seeing a flow yesterday in Fife only a mile or two away from you, FS.  Wondered if it might be Japanese knotweed which seems abundant there and also just in flower.

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## Bridget

Our bees bringing in bright orange pollen to but no Gordonia hereabouts.  Thats about all they are bringing in.  Removed 9 supers and hardly 1 super of frames for extracting between them and it looks mainly blossom . Thats no heather honey for us even if we raid some frames from the double broodboxes.  Thank goodness we had some blossom honey this year.  Knew with all the splits and swarms we would have less this year but even so thats pretty drastic.


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## The Drone Ranger

bees coming in white from balsam
feeding started for those that need it (sugar syrup)
B&M Farmfoods both 50p/kg
In stages so they store it away from the broodnest 

varroa treatment underway 


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## fatshark

Hi DR ... Interested in your _"In stages so they store it away from the broodnest"_ comment. I presume you mean if they get it all at once they pack everything out with stores and the Q has nowhere to lay? 

That was one of the reasons I switched to fondant as I'm sure they take it down more slowly and the Q continues going for longer. I made the switch years ago when I used to use Apiguard which routinely seemed to put the queen off laying - I wanted to avoid the doubly whammy of stopping the Q laying and then (having finished treatment) having the box jammed with stores.

Fondant is a bit more than 50p/kg unfortunately  :Frown:

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## lindsay s

> There's a range of pollen coming in.


I checked a couple of hives on Monday and noticed plenty of pollen in brood frames. As long as it doesnt go mouldy it should give them a good start next spring. Somewhere on this forum there was a discussion about how poor the bees were doing due to a lack of pollen and bad weather a year or two ago. I cant remember when it was but hopefully it wont be the same next spring.
I work with round 2 litre feeders and they need 5 or 6 fills so my feeding usually lasts a few weeks. To avoid using buckets and spilling syrup everywhere I now use plastic 2 litre bottles. One per hive holds the right amount.

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## Jambo

Mine have been busy last few days - not a lot of pollen but I think a good lot of nectar. 

Lots of asteraceae in flower all over the place, and still a lot of white clover around too, I think it has been warm enough for it to yield?  Nevertheless the main thing mine are putting away is Tate & Lyle!

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## Adam

> I checked a couple of hives on Monday and noticed plenty of pollen in brood frames. As long as it doesn’t go mouldy it should give them a good start next spring. Somewhere on this forum there was a discussion about how poor the bees were doing due to a lack of pollen and bad weather a year or two ago. I can’t remember when it was but hopefully it won’t be the same next spring.
> I work with round 2 litre feeders and they need 5 or 6 fills so my feeding usually lasts a few weeks. To avoid using buckets and spilling syrup everywhere I now use plastic 2 litre bottles. One per hive holds the right amount.


This spring I inspected after a few weeks of cold weather and the nucs had no pollen and hence little open brood. The large colonies were OK as they had probably piled in the pollen the previous autumn which the small colonies were unable to do.  Once the weather improved, then the colonies made good. It might be worth thinking about moving a frame of pollen from large well-stocked colonies when making up nucs rather than just giving them syrup.

I am not convinced that the feed patties that have been heavily advertised over recent years are something that should be given as a matter of course.

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## Jambo

It was 20 degC around Aberdeen yesterday afternoon if my car thermometer is to be believed - bees very active and I've noticed they have lost the robbing desire they had a couple of weeks ago - the extractor I put outside for them to clean up has been ignored.

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## Adam

My girls are getting a little - well some of them only as they seem to have found Himalayan Balsam a good distance away. Ivy nectar has not started although I expect it to soon. Lots of orange pollen coming into some hives.
24 degrees yesterday and probably warmer today!

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## Mellifera Crofter

It was a bit wet and windy today - but I was happy and surprised to see some of my bees near the Deveron arriving back covered in white like little ghost figures:

IMG_2473.jpg

Kitta

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## wee willy

Theyve been visiting Himalayan Balsam .


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## Mellifera Crofter

Yes, thanks Willy.  I should have mentioned that!  Theres a lot growing by the river.

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## Adam

Looks like ivy is starting now.  :Smile:

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## wee willy

> Looks like ivy is starting now.


Its starting here but very slow as of yet ! 


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## madasafish

Ivy here is a month away. Still HB but first light frost this am so limited life if frosts continue.

I started feeding pollen patties early spring in bad weather when bees cannot forage.. seems to work (I also do it when Q rearing)

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