BEE NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1852, 20 May 1887, Page 8

BEE NOTES.

THE BLOSSOMS OF THE EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS AS A BEE FOOD.

Mr B. F. Bingham lately read an interesting paper before the, Natural Histoty Society of Santa Barbara, from which the following is taken : —

During the past month or two my attention has often been called to the great numbers of bees daily visiting a eucalyptus globulus in bloom near my house when the weather will permit. I presumed they were collecting the pollen, of which it affords quite an abundant supply. More recently, however, I have observed in the early morning hours and late in the afternoon scores of humming birds, and, in several instances, hundreds of them at a time in the tree, and others continuously coming and going, visiting every blossom.

The idea then flashed upon my mind that there must be something beside pollen to attract so many bees and birds to the tree, knowing that the humming-bird feeds upon nectar, and not pollen which, upon investigation, I found to be what they were after in this instance. With a common hand lens, I find the disc of the flower, which is half-an-inch in diameter completely covered globules which upon testing I discover to be honey of very fair quality. It has a little of a resinous taste, but certainly should say not more, if as much as the hemezonia fasciculata (common tarweed).

I notice also that the humming birds occupy the tree from early dawn until it becomes sufficiently warm for the honey bees to come in and assert their claim to a portion of the delicious beverage, which they are not slow to do, coming in great numbers. The birds then almost, to a unit vacate, and give their niore mimerous aggressors full possession.

I observed, too, that when it is too coql or unpleasant for bees to work, even if somewhat rainy, thp birds are out in great numbers^ and continue their operations until quite late af t t,er sunset, showing that the supply of honey is continuous. Bee keepers and others interested in tree planning should note this and regulate' their operations accordingly. The fact that it produces a great amount of honey is evident from the numbers of bees and birds that visit daily. Then coming into bloom as it does in the winter months without any reference to climatic surroundings and continuing in bloom so long, it would seem that it might be a great acquisition to the resources of the apiarist if more largely planted ; particularly would it be so in the dry years,'when they are liable to lose their stands by hundreds from starvation. In favourable seasons, when an abundant supply of a better quality is produced, it would be rejected the same as other honey of poorer quality. Bees are good judges of honey and discriminate closely, and seldom, if ever, collect a- poor quality when a better is obtainable.

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