Bees working Plums

[judymarshall]

Hi , I have looked in the books but can`t find any mention of bees working ripe plums has anyone else any experience of this. The trees are about 20 yards from my hives and this morning the Greengage tree was covered with bees, a lot of the fruit has split at the top because of the rain and the bees are definately taking something from the fruit. All of the hives have been given a gallon of full strength sugar syrup 2 weeks ago prior to varoa treatment and they have this stored away so they are not starving. Could this be because they are deaperate for something to forrage and there is nothing else . I know that the bees don`t read the books but am a bit worried in case it gives them belly ache.

 

[drstitson]

plum eating

1. the stuff oozing out of the plums is basically a rich syrup - ie nectar we can see.
2. surely when you feed bees it is to provide an easy source of food for the young bees to use to build wax etc rather than build up stores per se.

foragers are designed to do just that so will keep flying to any source of food.

 

[oliver90owner]

2. Winter feed is winter feed. If one removes all the honey and replaces it with sugar syrup they do not need to build any more wax. So it rather depends on the time of the year and the state of the colony.

RAB

judymarshall,

Not aware of it, but, as you say, bees don't read books. They may just be really in need of water for using the stores in the hives and that happens to be a good local source? Keep us informed as to if they continue.

Regards, RAB

 

[MuswellMetro]

2.

Not aware of it, but, as you say, bees don't read books. They may just be really in need of water for using the stores in the hives and that happens to be a good local source? Keep us informed as to if they continue.

Regards, RAB

agree, never seen bees do this, whats stores have they, is it a starvation responce to low stores

my 14x12 are very low on stores this year

 

[Erichalfbee]

Could they be removing resin?
My victorias produce resin, I don't know about greengages though.

 

[jean]

Last year was a bumper year for plums here. They fell off the trees quicker than I picked them, and yes, the bees were working the squashed ones.