Notes for 2014 spring flowers near East Lansing / Okemos (with some bee notes)

Zachary Huang

This is in reverse chronological order so the newest date is on the top:

Sept

August

28. Goldenrod is blooming, almost peak. This might be about 1-2 weeks earlier than usual?

I need to check to see if the beebee tree to see if it has bloomed or not. I might have missed the male flowers. — Report…it seems that the beebee tree skipped blooming this year! This is the first time I notice that it could do this.

A brief tour of the MSU Horticulture garden saw many bees foraging on sunflowers, a type of mint, and Tropaeolum flowers.

July
7. White and yellow sweet clovers were in full broom. Taller than me near our field lab at MSU. They lasted at least for 5 weeks till mid-August.

1. Golden rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata, Sapindaceae) blooming at MSU campus. Probably introduced from China. called 栾树 there. Honey bees forage for both nectar and pollen from this tree.

June
24. I noticed the 8 basswood trees are blooming today, right in front of Giltner Hall.

20. Bird’s foot trefoil blooming everywhere.

10. Proximate date that black locust flowers stopped blooming.

7. Catalpa trees blooming. I have seen honey bees forage on their flowers.

2. Autumn olive blooming (started around 1 week before today and lasted at least another week).

May
31. White Dutch clover started blooming.

14. Saw white flowers on black locusts.

13. Crabapples blooming, pears almost done.  So I assume apples are blooming now also.

Second batch of bees (also 13 packages) installed around 6-7:30 pm. Bees not happy and had to use veil. All fed medicated syrup (4.5 gram/2 gallon 1:1 syrup).  Packages made on May 10th, so queens released directly after spraying syrup.

12, Redbud trees are blooming. I never saw honey bees on this tree here, beautiful as they are. but did see bumble bees and other bees, so they must have nectar or pollen. Then I saw a few in Australia and finally many many in China. not sure if the same species. but looks exactly the same to my eyes.

11, Sunday. Made one split from the strong winter survivor. It is worth 5-6 packages size-wise! 6+ frames of brood. Shook some bees to the very week one (made through the winter, but 200 workers only, nobody foraging).  So I will have 3 colonies from last year if a new queen comes out.

5, flowering pears and pears are both blooming. Dandelions are going strong. Cherries almost done.

4, Sunday and I checked my bees. Too long since first install and too much space between frames due the queen cage…so a lot of burr combs.  Most had eggs.  One queen (1/15) died with all attendants inside cage.  Got stung 10 times.

1st: Nanking cherries (Prunus tomentosa) in my garden blooming, weeping cherry also. MSU’s Japanese cherry just started. Daffodils still blooming. Box-elder almost done.  NIFA proposals submitted! Worked hard for 4 weeks.

April

26, took some pics of bees foraging on pussy willow in Okemos. Scilla still blooming, Forsythia starting. Hyacinths blooming. Grape hyacinths and Chinese cherry are forming flower buds. Red maple past peak.

24, drove to St Charles to pick up package bees, saw pussy willow and red maples blooming. 13 packages installed the same day.

11, took pictures of bees foraging on Eastern skunk cabbages, they had been foraging for at least a week

9, Blooming flowers: Christmas rose, witch hazel, anemone, crocus, Chionodoxa, Puschkinia,
A type of plantain and skunk cabbage are ready to bloom.

5. Crocus blooming.

March
31, Winter aconite blooming at MSU Beal Botanical Garden. Took students from my MacroPhotography class to take photos. A few honey bees on winter aconite.