White marking on flying bees

[daniblack13]

Hi,

I’ve noticed this unusual white/ light marking on the top of some of my flying bees in one colony. Does anyone know what it is? Is it anything to be concerned about? Behaviour seems normal and hive seems healthy.

 

[user 819]

It is pollen, typically this time of year Himalayan Balsam. The bees have to get deep in to the flower tube to access the nectaries and the pollen loaded anthers rub off on to the thorax, quite often bees are heavily ghosted.

 

[Bluebell1985]

Ghost bees

Absolute novice but I knew the answer to this one.

 

[Rock_Chick]

Himalayan Balsam, very nice tasting honey

 

[madasafish]

Himalayan Balsam: the only thing my bees bring in just now when it is raining.

 

[REDWOOD]

And I was going to say it’s a very rare trait of bees that never swarm and collect huge amounts of honey

 

[Finman]

Wrr

 

[Finman]

And I was going to say it’s a very rare trait of bees that never swarm and collect huge amounts of honey

Typical ghost bee. It is rare because it never propagate itself.