Hi Andy...
 
I didn't know they had a boarding school out here; it must have been that
private Catholic school that isn't here anymore (it became a shopping
center - like we need another shopping center?).  I'm sure Benicia has
changed a whole lot since you've been here; we have only lived here for 3
years, and although it still maintains a lot of small town charm, I
understand it's grown quite a bit since even 10 - 15 years ago.
 
Anyway, I really appreciate your message; in fact, as I said in my first
post, I have enjoyed reading all of your messages on the Bee-L and have
found them both informative and entertaining!
 
I live near the hills in Benicia, and I have seen a lot of star thistle, so
I imagine my bees will find it!  I also have a small stand of eucalyptus
near my house, so they may get into that as well.  I just wasn't sure how
far my bees would fly to forage, so I was concerned about that.  Do hives
send scout bees to find nectar and pollen sources?  I am new to this sort
of thing, so I wanted to make sure my bees would find good stuff to eat and
make honey with.
 
Thanks again for your help, and I'll be keeping you posted on my progress
as a beekeeper!
 
Mary
 
----------
> From: Andy Nachbar <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Looking for California Bee Forage Plants
> Date: Sunday, November 16, 1997 2:50 AM
>
> Hello Mary,
>
> I have fawn memories of Benicia and the time I spent there behind bars
and
> locked up during WW II at boarding school planning the "great escape" and
> catching my first honeybees off the wildflowers that come each spring.
Did
> not make good my escape so well planned by my 2nd and 3rd grade
classmates,
> we were going to run off and dig gold out of the hills, but I did get a
few
> bee stings and my knuckles rapped more then once by the black cape'd
guards
> who were nuns for picking the bees off the flowers and a few other's
pockets.
>
> Your area should have adequate spring wildflowers to build up your hive
and
> any flowering plants you have in your garden will be enjoyed by your bees
> and give yourself great pleasure watching them work. One beehive will
work
> the flowers of your and your neighbors yards for several miles and may
> produce in the summer a crop of very nice Yellow Star Thistle honey which
> is mild flavored and light in color and is considered by many the best.
>
> You may also have Blue Gum and other eucalyptus trees in your area that
> also can produce some surplus honey during the late winter and early
> spring. It also is light in color and has the distinct flavor of all
> eucalyptus honey produced in California and kind of grows on you. One of
my
> favorite honey's is Sage-Blue Gum mixed by the bees which my bees
produced
> when I was a teen ager and should have been chasing girls and not swarms.
>
> Vitex grows good here in Central California and grows into a very large
> almost small tree sized bush. I would not plant it unless I had room for
a
> large hedge, ours is almost as big as the Russian olive trees planted at
> the same time. The bees do work it but I have never seen any honey from
it.
> It also can be the subject of attack by strangers because it's leaves can
> easily be mistaken for Mary Jane or Wacky Tobacco. I have myself dried
the
> leaves and tried to smoke them but ended up using it in my smoker for
> fuel.<G>
>
> ttul, the OLd Drone
>
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