bees on bottom of frame... and pollen question too

[robsbees]

Just wondering if its normal for the bees to congregate and hang off in clusters on the bottom of the brood frames when you taken them out of the hive? They're also drawing out comb down there too, some have brood in them.

Also is it usual for a few different colours of pollen to go into the hive? we've seen dark blue, very pale yellow and darker yellow. Couldn't believe how dark blue the blue pollen was, one of the girls landed on my dark blue jeans for a rest and it wasn't until I looked really closely that I saw the pollen, as dark as my dark blue jeans, amazing!

 

[Headnavigator]

Yup, bees hang in clusters when they are drawing comb.
Wikipedia has a pollen colour chart you can use to guess what the bees are foraging on.

 

[Lance Hutchings]

Think dark blue, (almost black). is Poppy

 

[MuswellMetro]

Just wondering if its normal for the bees to congregate and hang off in clusters on the bottom of the brood frames when you taken them out of the hive? They're also drawing out comb down there too, some have brood in them.

Also is it usual for a few different colours of pollen to go into the hive? we've seen dark blue, very pale yellow and darker yellow. Couldn't believe how dark blue the blue pollen was, one of the girls landed on my dark blue jeans for a rest and it wasn't until I looked really closely that I saw the pollen, as dark as my dark blue jeans, amazing!

the blue pollen is probable rosebay willow herb and the dark yellow sunflower or ragwort, very pale yellow could be balsam others also fit

mine are brining is luminous green pollen which i will put under the microscope tomorrow to try to find out what it is

when yo see the red of the horse chestnut pollen in spring then summer is not far way

 

[robsbees]

yep we thought it was probably rosebay willow herb theres loads of it round here, we did have a little bit of black poppy pollen a couple of weeks ago

will have a look at the wikipaedia pllen chart too thanks for the tip

 

[Illo]

mine are brining is luminous green pollen which i will put under the microscope tomorrow to try to find out what it is

could be meadowsweet?

LJ