Pollen/Nectar availability Aug -Oct

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BlipiBee

New Bee
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
Location
Kettering, Northants
Hive Type
Langstroth
Number of Hives
2
Hi All

My bees are coming back this morning with loads of quite dark orange pollen and I'm intreagued where from.

What sort of availability is available to bees the second half of Summer?

It's great to see them so active so early and with that much pollen! I'm massively proud of my new family! :)
 
Depends.

Most years there is a surplus - it's called the honey harvest - might be large, might be small, occasionally relatively huge.

Some years the nett production can be a negative amount. You need to feed the bees to prevent starvation. In nature they would simply perish, if with insufficient stores for the following winter.

Factors might be rainfall, temperature, location, weather being the most unpredictable variable. Location is up to the bekeeper, for managed colonies.

At his time of the year supplies will, as always, be locally late-summer flowering plants and the honeydew producers in some locations.

Hope that helps.

As long as they collect, or you supply them with, sufficient stores for the winter you should be happy for them to expand into a strong and healthy over-wintering colony

Regards, RAB
 
Could be Sunflower ?

Regards whats available,himalayan balsam and Heather are the 2 main types end July/begining of August.
 
Burnt Orange colour . Mullein possibly , lots about at the moment .
George
 
Thanks for your info.

The bees are buzzing out over a field of un-harvested rape seed and onto the valley of 'wild land'. It fascinates me where they could be going! They quickly dissapear from view.

I'll be looking into the hive again over the weekend so can inspect their stores. I enjoy watching them when I can during the week, re-assuring to see they have settled well and are active.
 
I have a lot of privet coming in at the moment and there are also bees with white Balsam stripes on their backs.

Ian
 
californian poppies in flower as well, bright orange pollen
 

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