bees bringing pollen

[match]

I think a lot depends on the type of flower they're collecting from. With some plants they get covered in it - even if they didn't specifically need it.

In my experience there's always pollen coming into hives, even queenless ones. However, if you've got a queen who has just started laying, or a large amount of uncapped brood then it seems that every bee coming in has pollen on them.

 

[Bcrazy]

Pollen is a much needed supply of winter food. it is possible for a colony to remain alive in mid winter but die out in late winter or early spring. Lack of nutrients present in pollen is a cause of spring dwindling which would normally healthy.A wintering colony must replace its autumn population with young bees and have a large, active brood nest by the time the natural pollen becomes available in spring. Good results are obtained when pollen patties of pollen substitute or supplement are placed on top of the bars in the upper food-brood chamber five to six weeks before the availability of natural pollen. it is important to locate these patties in contact with the cluster and once substitute or supplement feeding is started replacement patties patties must bee provided until natural pollen becomes available.
I think enough has been said concerning the pollen being brought into the hive and its information it passes.



Mo

 

[Friar Tuck]

I have just done a AS, put queen in a NUC, and left old hive to rise a queen.

loads of pollen going in the NUC and i mean every bee ;O)

Not a lot going in the orginal hive with capped queen cell.

just an observation as i sat last night for over an hour watching