Pollen storage

[Erichalfbee]

Do bees store pollen over winter?
I know winter bees are stuffed with pollen and their fat bodies are large so that they can start feeding new brood but is much pollen actually stored outside the winter bee either as pollen or bee bread?
I'm not talking about the odd pollen foray in the winter but laid down as substantial stores in late autumn. Anybody know? Somebody that's passed the relevant module?
Thanks

 

[alldigging]

I was reading a paper about rates of pollen collection in high and low pollen colonies which seemed to indicate the bees have a set level of pollen stores in mind.. and built up to, or didn't forage until levels reached the sweet spot.
Will have to work out what it was though as I didn't print it.

https://agdev.anr.udel.edu/maarec/honey-bee-biology/seasonal-cycles-of-activities-in-colonies/
Says:
The egg laying of the queen bee tapers off and may stop completely during October or November, even if pollen is stored in the combs.

The extent of early brood rearing is determined by pollen stores gathered during the previous fall. In colonies with a lack of pollen, brood rearing is delayed until fresh pollen is collected from spring flowers, and these colonies usually emerge from winter with reduced populations.

 

[Tom Bick]

Bees most definitely do store pollen.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees most definitely do store pollen.

I've never opened my hives up in winter so that's why I was asking. Does it not go mouldy?

 

[Tom Bick]

I've never opened my hives up in winter so that's why I was asking. Does it not go mouldy?

Some of it can but the bees soon clean that up.

They cover the pollen with a thin layer of honey to reduce or stop mould forming.

One of the best things you can see in a hive just as you are bedding down the bees for winter is a few frames of pollen.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Some of it can but the bees soon clean that up.

They cover the pollen with a thin layer of honey to reduce or stop mould forming.

One of the best things you can see in a hive just as you are bedding down the bees for winter is a few frames of pollen.

Thanks Tom. I always make sure there is plenty when I do my last check but I presumed they ate it pretty quickly to build up stuffed winter bees

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Thanks Tom. I always make sure there is plenty when I do my last check but I presumed they ate it pretty quickly to build up stuffed winter bees

Bees store and also collect pollen during winter, no question about that. It may be worth remembering that the nutritional value of pollen decreases quite rapidly.

 

[Eyeman]

My bees stores a lot of pollen in the supers above the queen excluder. Left a super on each hive this winter and there was pollen in the lower part of the super frames when the queen excluder came off,
The pollen beetle finishes off any old pollen outside the brood nest come spring.

 

[Michael Palmer]

I guess storing pollen in the autumn is more critical in areas where the bees can't get out of the hive for months and brood rearing begins before new pollen is available to the bees.

This is a drawing of what the broodnest looks like in winter. It comes from The Hive and the Honey Bee. Notice the bands of pollen right where the bees will need it when brood rearing starts in the spring. It is often covered by capped honey. Have you ever extracted honey from or just above the broodnest...late in the season? You might be surprised by how much pollen is stashed under the honey.


http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/scan0041.jpg

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks Michael
Lovely dogs too. Are they yours?
Great picture of hives in the snow. It would make a wonderful Christmas card

 

[Michael Palmer]

Yes. The black and white is is a Blue Tick hound. The young one is a Maremma, an Italian sheep guard dog. The Blue Tick was on her way out, full of tumors. Pretty much depressed and gave up. Then we got the youngster and Betty Boop came back to life and was absolutely full of it for another year. She taught Wilson all kinds of critical survival tips before she left us...like how to rob the compost pile of the latest morsels.

 

[midnight sun]

I've never opened my hives up in winter so that's why I was asking. Does it not go mouldy?

If the frames containing pollen are to the sides where it is cold and possibly damp, that is away from the 'warmer' position of being near to the cluster, it may go mouldy. Often found with a small cluster that is struggling to keep warm due to reduced numbers. Just from what I have seen, not a proven theory. More frevalent in a colony that has died out during winter for obvious reasons.

 

[Finman]

They cover the pollen with a thin layer of honey to reduce or stop mould forming.

.

When bees gather pollen from flowers, they mix honey to pollen on average 30%. So they glue that pollen ball.

Then they store the pollen into cells, push it tight and the pollen is preserved like sauerkraut with lactic acid fermenting.

The sidemost frames takes mould often into pollen, because moisture condensates easily to the cold side frames.

Replace those combs with white combs or with foundations, and you save the valuable pollen.
.

 

[masterBK]

The mould that grows on the pollen is called Bettsia alvei and it turns the pollen into a rock hard mass that bees find diffcult to remove from the cells.

 

[Finman]

My bees stores a lot of pollen in the supers above the queen excluder. .

Your brood room is too tight. Use two brood boxes and bees store the pollen in lower parts of brood boxes and into side combs.

I use 3 brood boxes. Lowest is filled with pollen and 2 boxes has brood frames. Honey frames are quite clear.

How you get ridd of pollen from combs? ... Use them as brood combs and bees clean them in a week.

Pollen stores are extremely valuable during rainy days and weeks. If bees do not have enough stores, they eate worker larvae for their protein needs.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes. The black and white is is a Blue Tick hound. The young one is a Maremma, an Italian sheep guard dog. The Blue Tick was on her way out, full of tumors. Pretty much depressed and gave up. Then we got the youngster and Betty Boop came back to life and was absolutely full of it for another year. She taught Wilson all kinds of critical survival tips before she left us...like how to rob the compost pile of the latest morsels.

Where's the like button when you need it.
A young dog always gives an old timer a new lease of life. It's wonderful to see.
They give you such joy dogs don't they?
Thanks for sharing

 

[Michael Palmer]

I really do miss her. We let her have one litter, thinking she'd have 5 or 6 pups. Nope. 10! Good mom, and they reality ripped her up. Great pups.

 

[Finman]

Bees store and also collect pollen during winter, no question about that. It may be worth remembering that the nutritional value of pollen decreases quite rapidly.

Where it is possible. Our bees do not gather pollen during September -April.
It is 8 months. There are no flowers in plants.