Pollen block

[MJBee]

I have loads of willow close to my home hives and the bees are harvesting pollen by the bucket load. Unfortunately they are stuffing it in every cell available even in the brood area as young bees emerge.

I have not had this "problem" before and am wondering whether once the flow is over the bees will consolidate/move the excess and open up the brood area again, or should I remove some pollen blocked frames - note I have no drawn brood frames spare it would have to be foundation.

Comments please

 

[Winker]

I have loads of willow close to my home hives and the bees are harvesting pollen by the bucket load. Unfortunately they are stuffing it in every cell available even in the brood area as young bees emerge.

I have not had this "problem" before and am wondering whether once the flow is over the bees will consolidate/move the excess and open up the brood area again, or should I remove some pollen blocked frames - note I have no drawn brood frames spare it would have to be foundation.

Comments please

can you swap a frame into another hive thats not doing so well or are they all doing this good?

Yesterday i had to block my bees in their hive, as teh farmer was spraying the OSR behind my house. One hour after he had finished i opened up my hives to let the bees fly. within 10 minuets i had bees coming back fully loaded with pollen, i could not believe it only took them 10 minuets to get as much as they did. Your not the only one with it coming in thick and fast.

 

[Poly Hive]

Given you are in France and the temps are liable to be warmer than here, then I would try, note try, one foundation on one side of the brood nest between the outer brood frame and the pollen and see what happens. If that is successful then put one on the other side. Worth a go?

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

Putting in a frame of foundation in exchange for a full comb of pollen is a good option - after all can't very well lose by it, can you? So go for it, temperatures being a side issue (fairly irelevant) in this instance.

RAB

 

[REDWOOD]

Have they got sufficient amount of nectar coming in or fondant to draw out the new foundations

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Never had a problem with too much pollen at this time of the year, suggest they will convert it into brood very soon, if you have one or two days of stay at home weather it will soon disappear.

 

[MJBee]

Thanks all. The hive I am talking about is a Double brood National and it is the bottom box that has the "problem". It has 6 frames of sealed worker brood which is emerging - classic pattern - emerging from the center and radiating out towards the edge of the frame. The bees are filling the center of these frames with pollen as they become vacant. The queen is in the top box and laying well but when she moves down again there will be nowhere for her to lay.

The weather has been a bit chilly all last week but is now 20C+ and forecast to remain so all next week. I will wait until the brood has all emerged from a frame or two and swap for foundation and see what happens.

This is going to be my queen mother colony and I want bees not pollen The queen rearing colony is also bringing in pollen but is storing it sensibly and not blocking the brood area. Your sig is very apt PH -

 

[Skyhook]

Have you got any space in the freezer? A frame of pollen would be a very nice gift for a hive next February!

 

[MJBee]

I'll find some space it certainly will not be wasted