I really never thought of sunflowers as a bee crop. However, my sunflowers have hundreds of them drinking nectar right now. Perhaps the bees are happy to have a source of food. It has been awful dry here this year. We did have one rain last week. It was quite refreshing to say the least. The ground just seemed to drink that moisture right up. It is nearly as dry now as it was. Yesterday there were scattered thunderstorms but unless you are right under one, you get nothing. We got nothing!

Little bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brightok.net), August 04, 2003

Answers

No rain for a month in my part of Kansas. If I were a bee, I would go for the sunflowers too!

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), August 04, 2003.

Hey there Little Bit,

We have lots of bees but they are mostly the smaller type. We don't have but the sunflowers coming up wild from seeds but our bees are all over the bird's water pans. Swarms! They are not at all aggressive and will move when I clean the water pans. I'd sure be in trouble if they were aggressive.

This is usually our dry season so we will hope for rain about the first part of September. The drier it gets, the worse the grasshoppers get. Come on wintertime!!

Thank you, Nita

-- Nita Holstine (nita@phancypages.com), August 04, 2003.

The sunflowers I planted are starting to set seed, so the bees have moved on and I noticed this morning the birds are following in behind.

I have been waiting for our usual dry spell, but it isn't here yet. So far it doesn't look like we're going to have one. I can't remember ever having so much rain. It's been like this since late winter/early spring. I'm beginning to feel like I live in the rain forest! I haven't had to water once, which is good, but everything (tree saplings, weeds and grass) is trying overtake the clearing here at the house. I'm getting worn out trying to keep up with the wild vegetation! Mother Nature is on steriods this year around here. :)

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), August 04, 2003.

Speaking of birds, how do ya'll protect your seeds from marauders. These are going to be part of my chicken ration this year. I thought about paper bagging them, but man that is a lot of paper bags. Also when is the best time to paper bag? Any ideas on this?

Little Bit Farm

-- Little Bit Farm (littlebit@brighterok.net), August 04, 2003.