At 02:09 AM 6/3/96 +0000, you wrote:
>I am new to bee keeping and have a ranch with a fair amount of red
>clover in my pastures plus white clover. I have herd conflicting
>information on pollination of red clover by honey bees. Can someone give
>me the straight scoop wether honey bees pollinate and obtain nector from
>red clover? One says they get nector and pollinate only the
>later flowers in summer. Or is it they only pollinate and not get
>nector? Thanks Robert Cessac
>
>K-B Ranch
>Natural Beef
>
>2362 St. Rt. O
>Higbee, MO. 65257
>816-248-5201
>
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>
When I was growing up in East Texas in the early 50s, we had red or crimson
clover mixed in with the grasses in our hay fields. We kept 8 to 10
colonies of bees in gums and got a good honey crop from them. There was no
other types of clover anywhere around. Our bees didn't know that they
couldn't make a honey crop from red clover so they did it anyway. Now
understand that these were mostly the black German bees and were very
defensive. We had to replant the clover about every 5 years because they
were not producing enough seed to sustain a good stand.
In the late 50s a migratory beekeeper started bringing a tractor trailer
load of bees and putting them near the hayfields. I don't know how much
honey he produced but he always gave us a two gallons after staying only two
weeks. We no longer had to replant the clover and it spread all over the farm.
Now I am in the same quandary as you. All the experts tell us that Italian
bees cannot work red or crimson clover because their tongue is to short.
However my experience tells me they are doing something for the clover and
maybe the clover is doing something for them.
Frank Humphrey
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Franklin D. Humphrey Sr.
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