pollen bees

[elmandy]

Can any1 tell me why a lot of my bees come back to the hive looking very yellow, it looks like they are covered in pollen, is this right? As most pollen is carried on the legs in pollen sacks , or are there sum bres ther just don't clean themselves ,

 

[Freer4]

If its on their back, it's probably balsam. Mine are on it still.


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[oliver90owner]

Why clean themselves when there are house bees that will help out? Where would they put those cleanings if their pollen baskets were already full? What a waste of valuble time in the field - just wasting foraging time and risking predation?

All ways round, it is simple when you think about it. Try listing other pros and cons as there may be more. Bees are not stupid - they have only one target in life and they do not waste effort needlessly.

It will make no difference, whatever the pollen source. It is just more evident at times.

RAB

 

[cjhart2]

Bees are not stupid - they have only one target in life and they do not waste effort needlessly.

It will make no difference, whatever the pollen source. It is just more evident at times.

RAB

Whilst cutting the courgettes this morning watched a honey bee go down one of the flowers and come up a few moments later completely covered in yellow pollen , so much so it crashed on takeoff into the plant and then spent the next few minutes cleaning its head , especially around the eyes, the rest of its body was completely covered . Once the eyes where cleaned , it then took a low level flight ( about a foot of the ground ) back towards the hives , still completely covered . Bees can not afford to waste anything they gather .
If only humans were the same !!!

 

[pargyle]

I've seen some of mine coming back looking like they have been sugar dusted with yellow pollen ... one of my neighbours has courgettes in quantity in their garden so that explains it ...

The crash landings I have seen suggests that they are pretty heavy when they get back and the ones that are covered in pollen are immediately set upon by a gang of cleaner bees who seem to be tasked with cleaning the area around the hive entrance of any scraps of pollen that come off when the foragers return. As you say, they don't waste a scrap ... fascinating to sit and watch them.

 

[elmandy]

Whilst cutting the courgettes this morning watched a honey bee go down one of the flowers and come up a few moments later completely covered in yellow pollen , so much so it crashed on takeoff into the plant and then spent the next few minutes cleaning its head , especially around the eyes, the rest of its body was completely covered . Once the eyes where cleaned , it then took a low level flight ( about a foot of the ground ) back towards the hives , still completely covered . Bees can not afford to waste anything they gather .
If only humans were the same !!!

Proberly that's why mine are covered them SD grow slot of them , also marrow, and butternut squash, that produces lots of pollen

 

[HM Honey]

fascinating to sit and watch them.

I love watching the bees. I sometimes catch myself laughing out loud when one returns obviously overladen, and thumps onto landing board like a brick.....lol

Thier devotion and single minded determination to the cause is something to be respected....

 

[elmandy]

I love watching the bees. I sometimes catch myself laughing out loud when one returns obviously overladen, and thumps onto landing board like a brick.....lol

Thier devotion and single minded determination to the cause is something to be respected....

Well they are all very determined to get ther job done, wot ever the cost,

 

[mbc]

Look closely and you will see many bees covered in pollen often have very little on their pollen baskets, so overloading is not the cause.
Bees are fluffy, electrostatically charged creatures that fly into flowers, some of which have lots of electrostatic, fine sticky pollen, some flowers even have mechanisms that shower visiting insects with their pollen, its no wonder they sometimes come back covered, its more of a mystery how they keep themselves so neat on most occasions.

 

[oliver90owner]

Yes mbc, bees are either pollen gatherers or nectar gatherers, not both. Seems likee many on here are not aware of that simple fact.

 

[cjhart2]

Yes mbc, bees are either pollen gatherers or nectar gatherers, not both. .

And do not forget wax robbers either .
Took a queen excluder off with a super last night , left the queen excluder out , and the bees arrived , saw them collecting the wax off the excluder . They chewed it into small bits and then pushed it back to the rear legs.

 

[oliver90owner]

And do not forget wax robbers**either

Doubtful. More likely for propolis.

RAB

 

[cjhart2]

And do not forget wax robbers**either

Doubtful. More likely for propolis.

RAB

I would expect Propolis , but they were not touching that . If you look at the legs , very small bits of wax stuck together in odd shapes and it was not a one off either , being going on for most of the day and there is no honey on the excluder .

 

[masterBK]

bees are either pollen gatherers or nectar gatherers, not both.
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Some workers do both.

 

[BeeJayBee]

And some collect water.

Brilliant picture, by the way, cjhart2. Learned something new, I've seen them piling bits of propolis onto their legs, but never bits of wax.