A Trick of the Trade (2)

The Mayflower is now about 50% in bloom. I have been keeping an eye on it and very cunningly it has been holding back waiting for the optimum day for pollination.

Hawthorn flowers (as old beekeeping lore would suggest) only secrete nectar when the temperature is above 60 degrees farenheit. So today was the day for this to happen.

Here is another trick of the trade if you want to discover whether bees are working the flowers. There are so many flowers that it is usually impossible to see the bees.

One must therefore look up and see the outline of the flowers against the sky. If you can see the bees in silhouette flying then you know they are working the flowers.

With this warm weather they are certainly working and, who knows, perhaps honey will be extracted early next week!