# Foraging question



## limberwulf (1 mo ago)

I have a lot of surrounding farmland in my immediate area, the main two crops being corn (useless) and soybeans. What sort of issues are you guys seeing in areas where there are a lot of single crop fields? I plan to expand my property's flower volume, variety, and flowering date range, but I'm not sure how much impact I can make...


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

heavy crop, is in general heavy chems. so the corn gets sprayed for whatever. the dandelions are in bloom, also get sprayed or wind drift and the bees forage there. Bees need and use water, also find chems in the water.

I would put the bees in a different place. I have had at least 10 different yards over the years. Every yard has some good and bad features.

best yards
near a creek bottom, so you get trees, maple, basswood, sumac, aurum Olive etc, many trees have bloom.
some hay and pasture, so you get clovers dandelions, asters etc, basically field flowers.

here is a good example








Ossineke · Sanborn Township, MI 49766


Sanborn Township, MI 49766




www.google.com





my bees are near the center of this link
there is a creek bottom to the upper left.
woods to the right
farm stretching to the left.
more than 1/2 of it is hay, almost always a hay bloom from late june on.
several fallow fields for sweet clover and golden rod.

I would avoid communities in the 3 mile radius as well.
some folks go to walmart load up on chems come home and use it on lawns, gardens, the rose bushed , etc.
A poor community where the funds for chems is less can work ok.

Pi R squared on 3 miles is like 18000 acres, picking a place is easier than planting a place.

picking the yard is one of the most important decisions you will make, good question.

GG


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## daddyo1 (Aug 3, 2021)

This spring I'm planting Buckwheat for the bees as well as the deer. I'm also trying to conserve the moisture in my soil. (It's gonna be tough in Central Texas). Corn fields behind me, horses and cows to the north that eat the fields down to nothing. Woods to the south and houses to the east with crops beyond that.
Later in the summer after the buckwheat dies I'll put in a mix for the fall winter for deer season.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

In order for you to help by growing something for foraging for yourself, then you'd need some acreage, and then there's the problem of what to plant and when to plant it in order to give foraging throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons. I suggest you think of planting items that you can sell for it's own income, that also has bee foraging qualities as well.

Planting alfalfa or white clover or just about any sweet legume and growing it for seed to sell can work, but that's a job in itself with it's own costs and resources needed to get setup and working. Fruit and berry crops can work but that's mostly spring crops, blooms would mostly be over by summer.

I suggest just getting some hives and see just how well or not they do within the area that you have, you might be surprised just how well the bees can do there. The biggest problem is varroa mites, they upset the hives in ways that greatly reduces foraging incentive in the hives so manage the mites in an efficient way is imperative. At least it is for me in my area with my bees. Once I started treating for mites then I actually started getting honey to harvest, and I live in rice fields area, and rice has nothing for the bees.

Good luck to you on your endeavors.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

limberwulf said:


> I have a lot of surrounding farmland in my immediate area, the main two crops being corn (useless) and soybeans. What sort of issues are you guys seeing in areas where there are a lot of single crop fields? I plan to expand my property's flower volume, variety, and flowering date range, but I'm not sure how much impact I can make...


Plug this into Google: "foraging what plant site:beesource.com"
Read.


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## daddyo1 (Aug 3, 2021)

1 - 5 of 5 Posts


[IMG alt="limberwulf"]https://www.beesource.com/d3/avatars/m/145/145910.jpg?1671022340[/IMG]
*limberwulf*
Whoops, Sorry, didn't mean to copy your picture, glad you started this thread because it applies to me.
Hey RayMarler! I have about 15 acres (at least) to plant feed plots for the deer. I'm looking for a Genisis III "No Till Drill" to start planting food plots (They don't really sell them in Texas, I'm looking at Oklahoma to get one, a mere 12 to 15K)
Clover doesn't grow in this region I am told. I am trying to research what to plant mid summer (besides sunflowers, maybe a follow on buckwheat crop). 
Hey GregB, hope you're well! I'm headed to check out the link you recommended. I've been waiting about 9 or 10 months on the Texas DNR list for someone to come out and review my land (32 acres) to get their suggestions and maybe some grants for stock tanks (ponds for northerners). They can also suggest seeds for the bees and where to get them free from the state. 
I'll be planting more fruit trees as well.
I've learned in 5 years that I'm not very good at farming, or bee keeping for that matter. 
All this because the land owner before me didn't renew his Wildlife Exemption. (You have to start completely over when this happens in Texas)


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## Rave1 (May 8, 2021)

Hi Daddyo,[East of Dallas] I planted Hairy Vetch[seeds are reasonably cheap] a couple months back. Coming up really strong. A good high temp survivor sends a tap root down 2-3 feet, [good for pastures]. I plant in Oct., waiting until spring I believe is to late to get a root system that survives August. My canola patch[5lbs of seed] is on schedule for an April 1st bloom, really gets the Girls spinning wax before the local flow hits. Blue Bonnets are a Texas staple, seed are high $ but they spread in a pasture really well. Good Luck


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## PFiji (Dec 25, 2016)

limberwulf said:


> I have a lot of surrounding farmland in my immediate area, the main two crops being corn (useless) and soybeans. What sort of issues are you guys seeing in areas where there are a lot of single crop fields? I plan to expand my property's flower volume, variety, and flowering date range, but I'm not sure how much impact I can make...


Do you have anything else in the forage radius? Or is this solid corn and soybean country?


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## limberwulf (1 mo ago)

PFiji said:


> Do you have anything else in the forage radius? Or is this solid corn and soybean country?


There's a lot of hayfields, and some pastures. There's a wine vineyard nearby, but not in range I think, it's about 5 miles out. There are a number of homes with varied flowers that do not use pesticides, plus mine and other vegetable gardens, so there are forage sources, but most of the big fields are corn and soybeans from what I have seen. I think there will be plenty to support a couple of hives, not so sure about more. Guess I will see how they do. There's an apiary about 10-15 miles from me I just discovered, I'm going to be chatting with him on how his hives are doing?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

In the "old days" there used to be enough weeds in those fields and in the roadsides to do pretty well. Now with roundup ready crops and 24D on the roadsides it may not do so well. Are there any creeks that are not managed or sprayed? These can help make a "greenway" where other weeds bloom...


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

i have found that vineyards and christmas tree farms are worse than ag fields. the misters/foggers they use drift more than sprays and usually clover is planted inbetween vinerows and trees as a nitrogen fixer. everybody is up in arms about neonic corn. i would rather the insecticide be controlled and contained in a plant that my bees do not forage rather than sprayed with much less regard. and everybody cries about overspray. think the farmers want to waste product?
i agree that river bottoms are generally more productive. reliable moisture and lots more nectar come out of trees. most of what you can plant is literally a drop in the bucket. advise to focus on something that blooms during your dearth. buckwheat for example can be planted ~4 weeks before expected dearth.


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