# Catalpa trees



## JC2783 (Apr 10, 2010)

are catalpas good 'bee' trees for nectar &/or pollen?


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## Mosherd1 (Apr 17, 2011)

I have heard that they are good in some areas but from my experience here in CT they are a minor source. I have 2 in my yard and when they are in bloom I do not see many bees on them. I think they work other things during that time.


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## Growing Boy (Jan 28, 2009)

From what I can gather they are not considered 'preferred' forage which I take to mean if there's something better out there Catalpa's come in second. Interesting note. Here in the south thay are called Catawba Trees.


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## Walliebee (Nov 17, 2006)

They usually flower the same time as one or more of the major nectar plants in NC. This year is really odd in that the poplar, holly, blackberry, clover,* and* Catalpa are all in flower at the same time. (plus lots of other minor flow plants) It's enough to even confuse the bee's!


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## jusme (Mar 28, 2011)

My bees seem to work the Catalpa blossoms. I've had bees living in a large Catalpa in my front yard for over 20 years. The best part was the swarms my younger Catalpa tree attracted last summer. I hived 4 swarms from one tree. 

The swarms were huge and handled a tough Michigan winter beautifully. 

http://img291.imageshack.us/i/2ndbeeswarm.jpg/


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

Thought Catalpa trees are used for fishing worms. *shrugs*

Someone want to send me some seeds?


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## jusme (Mar 28, 2011)

I've heard the worms are great for catfish, but I've never seen any worms on my Catalpa trees. Anybody know if there are male and female trees and one or the other gets worms? I get the large pods, but no worms. I researched it years ago but can't remember. Seems like a moth lays eggs on the leaves or something to create the worms for fishing???? I'd love to know if anybody wants to chime in!!


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

Some years the honey bees are all over it and other years it is just bumblers, wasps and solitary bees of all sizes. I've had great results with the worms for cats, bream and whatever else there may be in the water and biting. Once or twice there were no worms.


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## misslechunker (May 26, 2010)

Jusme,
They aren't just good, they're GREAT! My father always told me to put busted up chunks of brick around the base of them in order to protect the worms once they go into the ground to do whatever it is that they do. We always had a lot of them. Now, i only have a small one year old tree. They grow extremely fast down here!


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## paintingpreacher (Jul 29, 2006)

NO WORMS? I have been told by some fishing friends that the tree needs to be pruned each year to assure worms. They love the new growth. I have a neighbor who has several trees and he cuts them back every year and they are loaded with worms.


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## Kingfisher Apiaries (Jan 16, 2010)

I cannot find the worms either. My tree makes pods too.
mike


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## Mosherd1 (Apr 17, 2011)

Are the worms in the ground under the tree or in the wood boring through? I have 2 huge catalpas and I never noticed any special worms?


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## mlknigh2 (May 9, 2010)

I may be wrong but I think that you have to put worms on there to get started. Once they are there they will return every year. Tilling up the ground under the tree and bricks are both good. They go into the ground under the tree and return the next year. Problem is the birds like them even more than the fish.


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## jusme (Mar 28, 2011)

Well paintingpreacher, if pruning is what it takes to get worms on the Catalpa, maybe I'll have some this summer. After 4 swarms in the one tree in the back yard, I cut off enough limbs to make it look like a Catalpa nub. Plenty of pruning went on last summer. But hey, if he gets worms for fishing, maybe I'll get off the hook for butchering hubbys tree!


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

I had catalpa trees around my hoses for over 20 years.The bees seem to work them some but I think there was better stuff out there at the time.Bees do get a lot of honey dew off them when there is nothing blooming.The ground needs to be sweet meaning you may need lime to sweeten the soil up to around a 7 ph.If you can get cuttings off a tree you can lay a 2 ft piece down and cover all but about 6 inches and keep the ground well watered and they will take root.I pruned my trees and planted them completely around two acres.I had lots of worm but the Rain Crows will eat all of them if you dont kill them off.If your ground is good you will get worms!!!!!


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## Ted n Ms (Apr 25, 2008)

Mosherd1 said:


> Are the worms in the ground under the tree or in the wood boring through? I have 2 huge catalpas and I never noticed any special worms?


The worms eat the leaves. I would suspect that in northern latitudes there won't be any worms.


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## HONEYDEW (Mar 9, 2007)

I received an 800lb chunk of a catalpa tree that an arborist refused to take away because it is full of bees, very small honeybees and extremely gentle the homeowner said that they have been there at least two years steady. So I brought it home and set the trunk in my rural driveway edge with my excavator and tomorrow I'm putting a roof on it and hope they throw a swarm that I can catch...


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## dsquared (Mar 6, 2006)

The worms are Catalpa Sphinx Moth catarpillers. In my experience, they will completely defolliate a moderate sized (20 year old) tree in 24 hours. I hate them, and whack them as soon as I see them on my trees. They eat all the leaves, I don't think they are particular. They will pretty much cover a tree, and you will hear their dropping rain down as they eat. Reminds me of a horror movie.

As far as honey production, I don't see honeybees on mine, so there must be better nectar sources available. They are sure are pretty though.


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## ronnd (Dec 17, 2010)

I see the bees working the bottom of the leaves ( don't know what there getting but I guess the leaves secrete sap or something)just as much as on the blooms. Plant sum worms on your trees and they will usually come back the next year I get them twice a year in the late spring them again in the fall are great fishing bait.


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## lavert5 (Mar 6, 2011)

lol they cut em back so they can reach the catapilliars. They make great bream bait from the time they are big enough to fit a hook and they get about 4" long. We bait trotlines when they are that big.


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## Bamabww (Mar 24, 2011)

My tree is just about to bloom so I'll see if they take to it. My sole Tulip Poplar tree is in full bloom and I haven't seen the first bee on it yet.

The first year or two I killed the worms on my Catawba tree because they will literally strip it bare. An old timer in the neighborhood told me if I didn't let the worms do their thing, my tree would never bloom. The next year I let them strip it bare and I have had a beautiful fully blooming tree ever since. Don't know if that's an "old wives tale" or not but it just so happened to work in my case.

The worms don't come back every year on my tree.


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## PARKBOY (Apr 30, 2010)

Bamabww said:


> My tree is just about to bloom so I'll see if they take to it. My sole Tulip Poplar tree is in full bloom and I haven't seen the first bee on it yet.
> 
> The first year or two I killed the worms on my Catawba tree because they will literally strip it bare. An old timer in the neighborhood told me if I didn't let the worms do their thing, my tree would never bloom. The next year I let them strip it bare and I have had a beautiful fully blooming tree ever since. Don't know if that's an "old wives tale" or not but it just so happened to work in my case.
> 
> The worms don't come back every year on my tree.


Well did they work the bloooms?


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