# Black Eyed Susan



## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

We have alot of them blooming right now. I am guessing they are only a pollen source. My bees are working them, barely, but it is funny how they are doing it. They land, do a quick spin or 2 just like they are on a mary-go-round, then to the next. The ones working them have heavy loads of pollen. I am going to try to get it on video. It is neat to watch.


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## carbide (Nov 21, 2004)

I have anumber of them growing but none of them even have flower buds on them yet.


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## thelorax (Apr 20, 2009)

I have a bunch but the rabbits have been mowing them down. Thanks, I'll try to use the Liquid Fence on them (before bloom) now that I know they attract bees...


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

Got them by the thousands here. I don't see the bees working them. The thistle is blooming now and the bees are funny to watch on it. They burrow right down into.


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## Noelle (Apr 26, 2009)

thelorax said:


> I have a bunch but the rabbits have been mowing them down. Thanks, I'll try to use the Liquid Fence on them (before bloom) now that I know they attract bees...


What is liquid fence?
does it work for deer?
do the bees mind it?

tell more!


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## Hambone (Mar 17, 2008)

Ross said:


> Got them by the thousands here. I don't see the bees working them. The thistle is blooming now and the bees are funny to watch on it. They burrow right down into.


I was in a patch of a thousand or so. Maybe 10-20 bees working them. I saw one and had to stand still and watch and another one would catch my eye. These are real close to my hive too. So it might have been a conveniance thing too. Your are right about the Thistle. I have lots blooming too. They just bury themselfs in there.


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## thelorax (Apr 20, 2009)

Noelle said:


> What is liquid fence?
> does it work for deer?
> do the bees mind it?
> 
> tell more!


Liquid Fence is a concentrate you can buy at a lot of nurseries. It's absurdly expensive and smells like rotten eggs. We've had good luck with keeping deer and rabbits away but a couple hard rains makes it necessary (despite manufacturer claims) to respray. We use a dedicated Gilmour sprayer for it and usually at night so the smell dissipates overnite.

I haven't noticed if the bees mind it, but I certainly am going to be paying more attention.

www.liquidfence.com states it is all natural and pet friendly, and won't harm deer or rabbits. It was developed by a guy in the Poconos (where incidentally I grew up) where there are critters aplenty.


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