Peter Edwards wrote:
>
> We know that symptoms of EFB usually appear in the spring at the time
> of the first good flow. (This is because more bees are recruited to
> foraging and larvae get less feeding.) Could it be that the flowering
> of the oak occurs at the same time as your first good flow - which is
> the real reason for the symptoms appearing?
EFB is also seen on the blueberry barrens in Maine, but it has been
associated with blueberries, which are difficult for bees to pollinate.
I have oaks all over our yard and immediate area with no apparent EFB,
so not sure if there is a correlation. But they leaf out when dandelion
is at its peak, so not a good data point. Our actual first flow is
maple, well before oak.
Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine
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