# Prairie



## snispel (Feb 10, 2020)

We have several acres of prairie. Every year we bale once in the summer. I was wondering, is there an optimum time to do that to limit the effect on honeybees? I am in SE Nebraska.
Thanks!


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## ffrtsaxk (Jul 17, 2017)

It depends on what your bloom time is for the flowers growing there. Here, most of the farmers that bail hay do it when their fields are at 10% bloom, which wipes out the honey flow from those fields. Waiting until post bloom or near the end of the bloom would give the bees more nectar and pollen.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

What is growing on your(if it is virgin sod) tall grass prairie? I do not k now your honey plants as they differ from area to area


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## adrock (Mar 19, 2021)

Just before winter sets in or very first chance in the spring if you want to leave shelter for smaller animals. I am in a huge field and knapweed just bloomed. Whole new nectar flow and great for bees to get ready for winter.


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## snispel (Feb 10, 2020)

Vance G said:


> What is growing on your(if it is virgin sod) tall grass prairie? I do not k now your honey plants as they differ from area to area


....definitely grasses heavy....but a great variety....brome, milkweed, iron weed, big bluestem, little bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass, goldenrod, bluegrass, leadplant, mullein, sedge, yarrow, st john's wort, ragweed, native thistles, vervain, spurges, snow on the mountain, milkvetch, clover


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## snispel (Feb 10, 2020)

adrock said:


> Just before winter sets in or very first chance in the spring if you want to leave shelter for smaller animals. I am in a huge field and knapweed just bloomed. Whole new nectar flow and great for bees to get ready for winter.


Luckily, we have a few ravines with cottonwoods and cedars. We always see the turkeys grazing and deer, fox, raccoon. We cut the grass so the warm season grasses have a chance to grow...otherwise the cold season grasses choke them out. But, it just occurred to me that maybe there's a better time to cut for the bees. I'm pretty sure we are entering a dearth right now....so maybe it was fine.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

snispel said:


> We have several acres of prairie. Every year we bale once in the summer. I was wondering, is there an optimum time to do that to limit the effect on honeybees? I am in SE Nebraska.
> Thanks!


Unfortunately for you - you are trying for two counteracting goals.

The best hay is harvested just prior to the most grasses blooming - the most possible balk at the highest possible nutrition is what you want.

For the bees - you want to look at the sweet clovers and let them bloom all the way through (pretty much through July or so about).
If you wait for the bees, you then sabotage your hay quality.

Pick your poison.

PS: I see you added - "We cut the grass so the warm season grasses have a chance to grow... "
With this - cut at the earliest possible date.
Then as the grasses recover, you'd actually have same nectar producers bloom - but just 2-3 later from normal - thus extending the general flow (weather permitting).


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