# Broccoli Flowers for bees?



## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

After many years of not seeing honey bees I have seen more than 20 on late blooming broccoli flowers. Do broccoli flowers provide adequate nutrition for bees and what other late blooming flowers would assist bees to survive and prosper?

Our zone 4 WI has been unusually warm this fall...


----------



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Brocolli blooming this late in November? Darned STRAIGHT your area is unusually warm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bees need nectar, pollen, and water to thrive. I would say that your broccoli is giving them both nectar and pollen, and what they do not eat now they will store in the hive for later. When the flowers stop producing they will travel on to other flowers, until frost FINALLY! shuts the flowers down in your area! 

At that time they will stay in the hive and eat the stored pollen and honey until spring.


----------



## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Thanks Terri for the info. We had 68 degrees at 8:00pm a couple of nights ago. Tonight windy and maybe 20's. Crazy weather...

I figure the broccoli flowers will be gone tomorrow but to see more bees in 2 weeks than I have seen in 10 years made me happy!


----------



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Sedum, Autumn Joy is a late bloomer the bees like hardy in your zone.
Asters that are late bloomers as well as golden rod are favorites too.
My daughter in Wisconsin was complaining to me about the warm weather there just yesterday. Sort of stopped whining when I told her what I guessed she had saved on heating bill, and doctor bills from sick kids, trying to keep the heating cost down.

 Al


----------



## light rain (Jan 14, 2013)

Yep. With our sudden change in weather looks like the deer hunters will have possible snow for tracking and cold temps. for the meat not spoiling if they process them themselves. Sat. night may go down to 12 degrees.

Got to go buy some suet for the birds...


----------



## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

Broccoli is a surprisingly good source of nectar and so are a lot of other garden veggies when they are allowed to flower.


----------



## Ford Zoo (Jan 27, 2012)

I'm not much help light rain, but wanted to throw in that hubby and I moved from southern WI to far northern WI 9 years ago. This fall has been so wonky, hasn't it?. I think winter finally arrived last night! We have only a dusting of snow, I hear our home area below Madison got hammered last weekend.


----------

