# Bees on Lilacs?



## garprob (Jan 20, 2009)

Have any of you seen this? I had always thought that bees were not interested in lilacs. I thought that the flowers were too deep for the bees' probosci. This is my 4th year and I had never seen the bees on our lilacs. But today I saw a handful of bees working them. And it's not like there is no other nectar flow- the dandelion nectar flow is full on right now.


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## Aerindel (Apr 14, 2012)

They like my lilacs, never accord to me that they weren't supposed to.


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## tandemrx (Dec 1, 2010)

I have lilacs all around my bee yards and rarely see a honeybee on them. Every once in a while I will see a couple bees investigating or collecting some nectar, but it is awfully rare (and disappointing since there is so much bloom available


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## geebob (Apr 4, 2011)

My backyard hive is surrounded by lilacs. I've seen them on the lilacs in the morning, but I suspect that it is either a dew (water) source or they are able to collect excess nectar. It certainly is much less interesting to them than the few remaining dandelions in my yard.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have seen them on the lilacs occasionally. But not usually.


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## Robee (Dec 9, 2007)

I had a whole swarm move into a lilac bush about a week ago. It was about 2 feet off the ground and so easy to catch. 
Robee


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Lilacs are good nectar producers, but structurally require a long proboscis to access the nectaries (like a bumble has). Perhaps your lilacs are a little shorter, allowing honeybee access.


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