bees covered in orange pollen

[Beauhawk]

Isn't there a condition associated with bees going overboard on Buttercup Pollen? I'll have to go look at Google now......

Any joy Teemore? I just looked but found nothing. I have the occasional returner looking like she's been under the sunlamp for too long as well so interested to find out.

I also saw one carrying blue pollen this morning!

I must get out more......

 

[alfazer]

New to Bees and fascinated!
I've spotted a few of mine covered in pollen like this. I guessed it was whin/ gorse as there's a lot of it around here at the moment. Northwest NI. We have the variety that smells of coconut, really strong this week, like suntan oil.
I thought I had no OSR but just spotted a small field about 2 miles away today.
I have a lot of sycamore, but wasn't sure what colour it would be... Learning curve.

 

[REDWOOD]

I watched bees working a Laburnum tree (golden chain) today their pockets were full of orange pollen

 

[Chris Luck]

It's Broom....

He says confidently.

Chris

 

[madasafish]

Mine are the same.. A huge broom bush - nearly a tree as about 3 .5 meters tall - in flower 1/4 mile away.. that I know of. No doubt some more hidden away.

Colours of the rainbow pollen at present.. Lots of horse chestnut - deep red.

Opium poppies starting to flower.. that should be fun...

 

[REDWOOD]

A good post on buttercups last year, look at picture from reply 13
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17691

 

[Teemore]

Beauhawk - The thread referred to in Redwood's last post refers to "May Sickness" which is associated with excessive consumption of buttercup pollen.

 

[greengumbo]

My bees were coming in covered in orange pollen with some marked like this today (at 630am !). Lots of broom nearby but also a laburnum.

Is it definitely broom ?

 

[pargyle]

My bees were coming in covered in orange pollen with some marked like this today (at 630am !). Lots of broom nearby but also a laburnum.

Is it definitely broom ?

Some of mine are covered in this same type of yellow pollen ... I sat watching them on Tuesday evening after the rain stopped and they were heading straight across the close in the direction of my neigbours laburnum tree which is completely smothered in blossom this year. No gorze or broom within miles of where I live.

 

[Chris Luck]

Perhaps the clue is in....

Orange pollen or Yellow pollen?

Yes???

Chris

 

[Chris Luck]

In fairness to the subject matter my bees are currently bringing in about 8 or 9 different pollens including 3 grasses.

Chris

 

[susbees]

We have loads of gorse and it's a useful pollen - and nectar - plant here in winter. Yellow pollen, and not much of it.

My money's on broom - several up the hill on the neighbour's land but not had the time to try and get a photo. No laburnum in sensible reach AFAIK. I was told "gorse" last week by a beekeeper of several decades' experience while helping score his bees for a breeding project. Photos are so valuable for this sort of thing...

 

[MJBee]

A picture of mine working broom a couple of weeks ago

 

[greengumbo]

A picture of mine working broom a couple of weeks ago

That's the one.

Broom then. Excellent there are about 30 big bushes of it nearby covered in flowers.

 

[beeno]

Hi MJBee,
Thanks - broom it is then. Had a few bees like that - not many but it makes sense.

 

[pargyle]

A picture of mine working broom a couple of weeks ago

That's exactly what mine look like but no broom (as far as I can tell) for miles - perhaps someone has some in a back garden that I can't see.

 

[alldigging]

Is there a particular one they like or is common broom good with them?

 

[Lindylou]

Wish I could get out to check on mine. Been pouring down here today

 

[YorkshireBees]

I was wondering myself when I spotted one that landed on the crown board in front of me.

The apiary is on an OSR field but ofc it's starting to go over the the bees work other things aswell!

 

[Chris Luck]

Is there a particular one they like or is common broom good with them?

Common old wild broom will do just fine.

Chris