bees bringing pollen

[craigavonb]

If bees are bringing in pollen is it a sign that the bees have a queen?

 

[Hivemaker.]

No.

 

[Poly Hive]

Definitely not. A much misunderstood sign.

PH

 

[garethbryson]

when they bring in pollen its a sign that they need it for feed. nothing else!!!

 

[tonybloke]

when they bring in pollen its a sign that they need it for feed. nothing else!!!

erm, don't bees also store pollen for use next year?

 

[garethbryson]

erm, don't bees also store pollen for use next year?

Yes they do "FOR FEED"

 

[tonybloke]

Yes they do "FOR FEED"

I'll bow to your superior knowledge,

 

[garethbryson]

I'll bow to your superior knowledge, obviously gained by many years of beekeeping!

It was actually, By the person that told me!

 

[mannky]

Does it mean anything if the bees put pollen in the supers?

 

[Mike101]

Bees bringing pollen is more often than not a good sign.

Yes you could have laying workers/dronelayer etc but 9 times out of 10 it means all is well in their world.

 

[mannky]

Should you try and prevent it so that you get pure honey to extract?

 

[m100]

Definitely not. A much misunderstood sign.

Beg to differ but willing to be educated as to why I could be wrong

I'm not sure whether Storch "At the Hive Entrance" mentions it but I would suspect it does.

From my own observations, If there is pollen around, then I've never seen a queenright colony not bring in some pollen a few times a minute. On hopelessly queenless and broodless colonies with masses of pollen around I've never seen them fetch pollen in.

 

[victor meldrew]

Does it mean anything if the bees put pollen in the supers?

Bees try to maintain a spherical nest, this often leads to an arc of pollen being stored at the base of the first super above the Queen excluder.

Queen less bees will collect pollen (sometime involuntarily ).
Bees Bucketing the stuff in is usually a good sign that all is well !!

John Wilkinson

 

[Poly Hive]

I have seen many times queenless hives stuffed with pollen. These I should say are QUEENLESS hives which is to say no queen of any sort in them.

So pollen being taken in cannot be taken as a sign of anything. apart I suppose that pollen is available for collection.

PH

 

[victor meldrew]

I have seen many times queenless hives stuffed with pollen. These I should say are QUEENLESS hives which is to say no queen of any sort in them.

So pollen being taken in cannot be taken as a sign of anything. apart I suppose that pollen is available for collection.

PH

I've seen many a hive stuffed with pollen !!!!
Usually collected before same went Queenless or should I say QUEENLESS ?

John Wilkinson

 

[susbees]

So, ignoring the pollen=queen Q, how about pollen=larvae to feed?

 

[tonybloke]

susbees So, ignoring the pollen=queen Q, how about pollen=larvae to feed?

it means the bees are expecting to need it some time in the future.

 

[Mike a]

I was told they would only collect pollen if they needed to feed young or were in the process of raising a new queen and all was well in the hive.

Busting myths in bee keeping

 

[mannky]

Still not sure abut this pollen in supers business. Is there anything that can be done to manage the situation?

 

[susbees]

I was told they would only collect pollen if they needed to feed young or were in the process of raising a new queen and all was well in the hive.

Busting myths in bee keeping

Pretty sure Storch says pollen in = new queen laying. I think a thread to discuss his findings would be useful. I like the watching approach, but how accurate his findings are to others would be useful...

...for now the pollen myth remains another questionable...