I have always wanted to get my first hive but the area(in a small town) I live is sagebrush/desert(eastern Oregon). I don't notice much flowering plant life around but I don't usually watch for it either. There are quite a few yellow jackets around here too - every year I kill several starter hives around the eves of the house and garage. Can I have a sucessful hive under these conditions???
Are there any farmers within 3 miles of you that raise alfalfa? Neighbors with vegetable gardens? Some desert areas support bees, others do not. Why don't you do a google search for Oregon beekeepers associations? If there are any west of the mountains, they WOULD know what local plants are good nectar and pollen producers.
Call your county Ag. center(look under County Goverment>) Tney'll be able to give you the local beekeeping assc. name and number. Talk to them. They'll be able to answer all your questions. I had wanted bees for years and finally decided to call just to see what information they had. I hit the jack pot. They not only had names and numbers but told me about the local meetings. Good luck Debbie
thanks for the replies. Ill check with the county. And yes there are alfalfa fields, corn field and Im sure some gardens or flower beds.
