Pampas grass pollen.

[Webby]

Hi all,
Went to have a look at my bees a while ago and saw a lot of pollen going in and they looked very busy at the entrance. As I went to check my post box I heard a lot of humming. Then noticed our pampas grass was covered in bees, all had large amounts of pollen. 50 or 60 I would say we're on it. Looks pollen rich and as I'm a first season beek I didn't know this. Never seen bees on it before I had them. Is this well known? Must be a good source for them running into autumn.
Sam.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Bees will collect pollen from almost anywhere, but it can be in short supply at this time of year when there's so little in flower, so they're lucky to have a rich source nearby.

 

[Jimy Dee]

Any chance of a picture?
What type of pampas grass is it? Might be worth growing a few plants.

 

[Webby]

Any chance of a picture?
What type of pampas grass is it? Might be worth growing a few plants.

How do I upload? I'll try. Just looks like a normal type common pampas grass to me.

 

[Webby]

Tried uploading a pic but must be too big? Just an iPhone photo?

 

[alldigging]

Tried uploading a pic but must be too big? Just an iPhone photo?

Get it on flickr!

 

[masterBK]

Pampas Grass pollen is unlikely to contain a complete or balanced set of essential amino acids needed by the bees

 

[alldigging]

Pampas Grass pollen is unlikely to contain a complete or balanced set of essential amino acids needed by the bees

But that's fine unless they're in the middle of hundreds of acres of land containing only pampas grass.

Does Almond contain all the essential amino acids needed by the bees?

 

[Webby]

Pampas Grass pollen is unlikely to contain a complete or balanced set of essential amino acids needed by the bees

It's only one plant in my garden. The nearest house to me is half a mile away so there won't be pampas grass everywhere. I'm sure the bees know what they're doing.

 

[chrismcd]

Protein content of pollen seems very variable and has little to do with attracting bees

Pampas Grass pollen is unlikely to contain a complete or balanced set of essential amino acids needed by the bees

No more or less likely than any other sort of pollen according to this paper

https://www.researchgate.net/profil..._Phylogeny/links/54f4de6b0cf2eed5d735a60b.pdf

Bees are well known to collect pollen from wind pollinated plants - mine work the hazel catkins in the spring most years.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Gorse pollen is one of the best.

http://www.nbba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Nutritional_Value_of_Bee_Collected_Pollens.pdf

 

[For want of a better word]

Gorse pollen is one of the best.

http://www.nbba.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Nutritional_Value_of_Bee_Collected_Pollens.pdf

Attended a lecture yesterday at the Cornwall & West Cornwall Beekeepers Associations BID at Truro..
Sure that Gorse and Lucerne ( Alfalfa) were leguminous ssp that honeybees did not frequent as they did not enjoy the experience of being flicked between the legs?
May have heard that wrong as the hearing loop was playing up!

Nos da

 

[Hivemaker.]

May have heard that wrong as the hearing loop was playing up!

Yes, get yourself a new hearing aid, the bees love the gorse here.

 

[For want of a better word]

Yes, get yourself a new hearing aid, the bees love the gorse here.

And mine were all over the lucerne... alfalfa.
Then the lecturer also said that honeybees were not a native species to the British isles!

Thoroughly interesting lecture tho!

Yeghes da

 

[enrico]

Spotted mine collecting it off sweet corn plants yesterday, filling their pollen bags they were.
E

 

[alldigging]

Spotted mine collecting it off sweet corn plants yesterday, filling their pollen bags they were.
E

I videoed them on some where the other day!