dps wrote in message ...
Molly wrote:
Hello to rec.gardens after a long abscense.
I have been duking it out with removing Garlic Mustard from a Nature
Preserve. There are 11 beehives just next to the Nature Preserve. I am
looking for a bee friendly replacement for the Mustard, but most
clovers seem unsuitable for the site. The beekeeper requested big
white clover...



It sounds like they're not your bees. You have no responsibility to feed
them. Considering that bees will fly up to 2 miles (possibly more,
depending on the breed) to gather food, your nature preserve (unless
it's very large) is probably only a small fraction of their food supply.
Since the hives are on the border, it's probably less than half (some
bees will fly in the other direction). Of course if there is a food
supply close by, they will take advantage of it.

Is this beekeeper a commercial operation or just a hobby beekeeper? 11
hives is more than the average hobbyist keeps. I assume he sells honey.
In that case, it's in his interest to provide a supply of food that will
produce tasty honey. Clover is high on the list.

Have you considered something like dutch white clover? It's a low
growing plant, not suitable for hayfields. We use it in walkways. I
suspect that it wouldn't produce as much useful nectar as the larger
plant, but that's just a guess on my part.

What is the purpose of the nature preserve? Is it a wild area or is it a
park or is it something in between? Are you trying to attract wildlife
or human occupation? Do you want a lawn or a food source for wildlife
(other than the bees)?

A food source for other wildlive would be in keeping with the notion
of having some crop out there that's feeding the bees, too, but I do
not require a forage crop. Those deer in there find enough already
without my help. I'll look into Dutch White Clover, perhaps Alsike.

Beekeeper is a hobbyist, once was commercial. He rents this spot
across from our Airport, and the Airport is their primary restaurant.
No, I got to know the guyw while weeding around his hives. He gave me
some honey, he asked for Big White Clover in return. I won't plant an
invasive that close to an area where my more advanced peers can count
159 species of plants. It's a 42 acre park, it has a special
protection on it, designating it as a Natural Preserve. No swingsets,
this is just to experiece to woods in. This is the only Milwaukee Park
to have that honor. This was granted due to increasing pressure from
the Airport to clear cut the place and use all of parkland as an
emergency landing corridor. Roughly, I figure 30 acres did get the axe
for that purpose.

Molly Zone 5a