Bees Bringing In (what) Pollen

[shudderdun]

Returned from holiday yesterday, to find my bees flying, as they are today and bringing in a light cream coloured looking pollen, is this probably going to be ivy ?

Thanks.

 

[peteinwilts]

Returned from holiday yesterday, to find my bees flying, as they are today and bringing in a light cream coloured looking pollen, is this probably going to be ivy ?

Thanks.

My more active bees are also bringing in bright yellow pollen?!?

 

[Russel]

Is all this late activity likely to cause problems later on eg: stores and curtailed lifespan; and therefore winter survival?

 

[user 6228]

Is all this late activity likely to cause problems later on eg: stores and curtailed lifespan; and therefore winter survival?

This behavoiur is likely to be a part of their natural opportunistic mechanisms for survival.

 

[busybee53]

Mine have been bringing in the light pollen and also the bright yellow. Tuesday was very warm here so went to check hives. Yes they have been using stores - cappings on the ground BUT there were absolutely loads of winter bees orienting themselves. Perhaps if it turns cold soon they will cluster and save their energy.

Storch in 'At the hive entrance' says pollen going in in November is not a good sign. As this is an old book I am hoping that global warming means we can allow the bees a bit longer to collect pollen.

 

[oliver90owner]

Some on here forgotten last year?

 

[Ely]

Is all this late activity likely to cause problems later on eg: stores and curtailed lifespan; and therefore winter survival?

It is perfectly normal for bees to leave the hive to carry out undertaking duties, toilet breaks etc in mild breaks in weather.

 

[Finman]

.
Our researchers has opened hives very late that if the hive brought pollen very late, it had brood in the hive.

I had never thought about question because I di not opened my hives any more when I feeded the hives.

The researcher examined varroa and that is why he wanted to know what is going in the hives.

.

Just now we had today 7C temp but no bees came out. But it was quite a rain here.

.

 

[clv101]

My more active bees are also bringing in bright yellow pollen?!?

At the weekend my bees were very busy, bringing in this bright yellow pollen. It was around 13C.

 

[For want of a better word]

Only bee concerned if you have a variety of bee not suited to our temperate maritime climate, but if yours got through last winter and the terrible one of 2010 / 2011 and even worse the one before when we recorded minus 15 in January ( when I lost all my Buck farts!) I think you will be OK!

I do not know what the bright yellow pollen is.. but they all ( various breeds) were stacking it in yesterday... max temp hit 17 degrees in the orchard !

 

[Russel]

This behavoiur is likely to be a part of their natural opportunistic mechanisms for survival.

It is perfectly normal for bees to leave the hive to carry out undertaking duties, toilet breaks etc in mild breaks in weather.

Thanks guys, I know they come out at any 'warm' opportunity,even though they are not out for prolonged periods if they're out foraging will it not shorten their life as it does the summer bees?

Russ

 

[Erichalfbee]

Some on here forgotten last year?

Indeed.
My bees were busy most of last November and were flying on Christmas day.
They stayed in most of April,May,June and July............

 

[sandysman]

Kirk's Pollen Loads

Returned from holiday yesterday, to find my bees flying, as they are today and bringing in a light cream coloured looking pollen, is this probably going to be ivy ?

Thanks.

Looking at Kirk's Pollen Loads, ivy can be anything from bright orange to almost khaki green. A plant named "Darley Dale heath" has cream pollen and flowers from Dec to May. I don't know what the latter looks like but it is part of the Erica family of plants. Hope this helps.

Andy

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Some on here forgotten last year?

Nope - see the first page of this thread from the seventh of January:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15266

 

[REDWOOD]

Gorse bushes are in flower here and bees bringing in some yellow pollen

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Mahonia charity is in bloom in several places in Sheffield. My bees were out today too.

 

[iand]

We have quite a few fields & game strips of mustard in flower at present.
Just need some some sunny warm weather to take advantage of it.

 

[richardbees]

I've still got copious Michaelmas daisies and Borage and I'm within a wealthy London Suburb so every possible flowering shrub will be somewhere close!

 

[margob99]

My bees were flying here in their hundreds on Thursday, and today, on the Berks/Bucks border. Bright yellow pollen, which I reckon is the ivy, and pale light cream coloured also. There's a bramble bush across the road, flowering, clearly confused. Wonder if it's that ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

There's a bramble bush across the road, flowering, clearly confused.

I have an elder with flowers and berries in my garden.......confused too