White patches on some bees

[skydragon]

Looking at the bees entering/exiting the hive today, I noticed that the odd one has some kind of white substance on it's abdomen. It looks like a patch of white paint has been dabbed on the abdomen of some of the bees. Not as a neat spot, but as though they have brushed past some paint and picked some up on their abdomen.

The 'marked' bees look perfectly healthy otherwise with perfectly formed wings etc.

The hive looks healthy and on doing a hive inspection today, everything looks just fine.

Is this normal? Anyone any ideas what it is?

I've been dosing Apiguard for the last month, perhaps it is connected to this?

 

[Frisbee]

It's pollen.......probably Himalayan Balsam. Nothing untoward, it does make them look strange though.

Frisbee

 

[victor meldrew]

Himalayan Bassal is still flowering profusely and the bees are still working it like mad .
Your bees have been bushed, but not by paint but rather the pollen of the Balsam . Ths plant distributes pollen by the use of a trigger hair in the entrance to the flower head . touching this causes the stamen to Knight the bee as it were, hence the white stripe .

John Wilkinson

 

[victor meldrew]

It's pollen.......probably Himalayan Balsam. Nothing untoward, it does make them look strange though.

Frisbee

sori friz.
cross pollinated
John

 

[the naked beekeeper]

Good old HB!

 

[Frisbee]

cross pollinated
John

Frisbee

 

[skydragon]

I'm fairly sure it isn't pollen. It isn't a 'dusting' but something that looks like white paint or white tippex. It is fairly gloss/smooth in appearance.

 

[Frisbee]

I'm fairly sure it isn't pollen. It isn't a 'dusting' but something that looks like white paint or white tippex. It is fairly gloss/smooth in appearance.

yes - it's still Balsam pollen. I was going to just add how you describe it on my first post as the appearance of it has changed over the last week or so from an obviously dusty coating on the bees to this now white stripe as if someone has tipp-ex'd them, I suppose as the nectar get scarcer they have to go deeper, maybe as well the consistency of the pollen has changed as the season has gone on, but it's still Himalayan Balsam. I've got lots of it round me and seen those same changes.

Frisbee

 

[BKF Admin]

A members photo I found on the forum showing a bee thats been on Balsam:

 

[Hombre]

yes - it's still Balsam pollen

. Ahh, that would be the Tippex plant then

 

[Rosti]

As others have said I think Himilyan Balsam, but heres a picture to check - fine powder adhering to rear and sides of abdomen and a potential dusting to wings and legs, plus upper reaches of thorax - makes them look almost ghost like. Mine are still bringing some in as well. R

 

[rich]

Hi
Do you have any hibiscus near you, the bees get right in the bottom of the flower and just come out plastered in pollen

Rich