Some of my bees have a yellow thorax...

[Nick Sonic]

...while others don't. Is this a sign of a problem? I noticed it the other day, thought I'd ask the question since I'm off to the hive later so could look into it further if I needed to.

 

[Swarm]

Not a problem, simply evidence of your queen's promiscuous past.

 

[Nick Sonic]

Not a problem, simply evidence of your queen's promiscuous past.

Could you expand on that? I'm intrigued (naturally)


(Thanks for the reply, this forum does a great job of putting the newer beek's mind at rest when faced with a potential issue).

 

[Erichalfbee]

The queen mates with many drones.
The progeny she produces is a reflection of that

 

[Swarm]

As above. Not being pedantic but it will be their abdomens. The thorax is what the legs and wings attach to and it's generally a brownish colour.

 

[Nick Sonic]

As above. Not being pedantic but it will be their abdomens. The thorax is what the legs and wings attach to and it's generally a brownish colour.

More than happy to be corrected and learn the right part of the anatomy.

Will try and get a pic later.

 

[Swarm]

Look at the bees here ...

 

[Finman]

.
Pollen of Linaria vulgaris. Bees have foraged in toadflax.

.

 

[Nick Sonic]

Unfortunately I couldn't get a photo as there wasn't any flying and I fed the hive without opening it.

 

[Finman]

Unfortunately I couldn't get a photo as there wasn't any flying and I fed the hive without opening it.

Does it have like a yellow button in its back or is it whole thorax cuticula yellow?

 

[Nick Sonic]

To be honest I really don't think the yellow area is on the abdomen... It's more like directly behind the head and between the wings. Sorry, without photographic evidence it's harder to describe/visualize.

 

[Finman]

To be honest I really don't think the yellow area is on the abdomen... It's more like directly behind the head and between the wings. Sorry, without photographic evidence it's harder to describe/visualize.

Toadflax pollen, I say

 

[Swarm]

There was I thinking you were on about colouration, which is why I mentioned the abdomen as it's quite common to see a variety.
Finman has your answer for you, it's pollen. You will see bees coming home completely yellow when they work Willow or Dandelion, when they are on Balsam there is a lantern shaped whitish patch on their backs, on Californian Poppies their forehead and upper thorax are yellow.