Matchstick pollen

[beepig]

As I sit and watch my bees day after day, and spring comes in,bringing bouts of warm weather. Our bees begin their mission of bringing food to the masses. I wonder and ask the question....why do so many bees return from their forage with but a matchstick of pollen, Instead of a full basket. This occurance I note happens mostly through spring.

 

[Karsal]

There's obviously not much out there to forage in the first place and one would think that time to gather it is limited as well.
Better to get back with half a basket than to die of cold

 

[beepig]

I had thought of that however, many return fully loaded

 

[wightbees]

Nectar and pollen possibly?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I watched my bees foraging on the crocuses in the apiary yesterday. It was 6 degrees and with a bitter wind. They were all coming back with small amounts. I guess it was too cold to stay out for long

 

[enrico]

Will probably be told this is a myth but my understanding is that once they start on one type of flower they will stick to it for the duration of that flight. If they pick a flower which has not got many other similar ones nearby they will only take back what they can collect on that journey,
E

 

[Finman]

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I have wondered that phenomenom decades. There are many reasons.

1) It is early spring and first flowers. There are so many visitors in one frower, that it is cleaned at once when it opened.

2) Too many visitors in willow flowers. In low temperatus bees cannot fly very far. If it is much wind, bees do not fly over big fields. Pollen is gathered as soon as the new flowers open. Not enough pollen to all visitors, if bees forage only inside radius 1000 metres.

3) In Australian reports it was said that bee forage pollen with full speed in +16C temperature.

Their tiny legs and fingers work with full speed.... but assisted with sun radiation.

When bees work, their wing muscle temperature is 39C.

4) I folloved hives on spring rape field. Temp was 18C, sun and some wind.

Bees came out and went in with with speed. They had empty nectar bellies and not much pollen.

Near ground sun shine radiation is stronger and at same time bees can gather bigger pollen balls from dandelion.

5) There are many plant species from which bees gather only small pollen droplets. Raspberry is such.

6) In the morning bees use to forage pollen and in the afternoon it is rare. Perhaps most pollen has been cleaned from flowers.

7) Mullein offers pollen only before midday. No bees are in flowers after midday. Perennial Verbascum nigra is my favorit.


8) I moved hives into willow bushes. The willow bushes on open large field was full of open flowers. Temp was +8C. When sun came behind the cloud, bees attacked onto flowers, and when sun went behind clouds, bees were in a hurry to come home.

Wind was quite strong

At same time in the middle of trees it was calm and bees foraged several kilos nectar and pollen in few days. Temp beween trees is higher and no wind from any direction.

9) what is day temp and working hours

If the night temp is, let's say +5C, it takes many hours that the day temp reachers its maximum +18C. It may be 12 a'clock. Then 15 a'clock temp is allredy going down.

Last bees come with pollen load to the hive. They are tired and drop into shadows. Air temp is 12C and they cannot rise to their wings and die into shadow. Then there are lots of brave dead workers in the evening around the entrance.

Effective working hours may be 3-4, even if the whole day seemed very good.

 

[beepig]

Very interesting I thank you. I will rely tomorrow when less fatigued

 

[Hunajavelho]

Different races gather different volumes of pollen. Italians and Carniolans don't gather an abundance in summer.

There are also differnces in wingpower. Some fly in colder. Italians has poor wingpower and needs warmer to fly, especially longer distancies. Carniolan and a.m.m fly readily in 8 celsius. Is it good or bad is up to the beekeper to decide.

Brother Adam writes in his book. That they got heather crops from over 3 km away at a height of 400m with the old english native bees.

 

[Finman]

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All what is said above, that is why I feed 1.5 months pollen patty. Hives use pollen patty 500-700 g/week. That I have done since 1990.

When I start first 3 weeks nature has no pollen. Then, how much weathers give foraging days and hours, no one can say. At least with pollen patty bees do not eate larvae as protein store.

Patty feeding started when I noticed that Carniolan bees store pollen over winter and that is why their build up was early.

When I feed pollen patty, it takes couple of hours before bees get enough drinking water. It is huge flying in the morning in cold weather.

Often hive can continue its patty eating on afternoon, when they have got enough water.

When bees start to get good quality pollen in spring, they stop patty eating.
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