white pollen/powder on the head

[Cuckmere couple]

of bees

anyone know what this is likely to be?

thanks

 

[REDWOOD]

HB

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ah....is that so...think we have a lot on our river banks here (500metres)

so could well be...another flow?

 

[Curly green fingers]

I agree , my first year to see white bee's . HB at my river apairy .there still covered when they come back out of the hives.

 

[Curly green fingers]

ah....is that so...think we have a lot on our river banks here (500metres)

so could well be...another flow?

Yes , two weeks here . I would go and have a gander!.

 

[Millet]

Sounds like they have found a dodgy night club..

 

[Beefriendly]

I shall sniff a few ghost bees tomorrow...bet all it does is make me sneeze
Achooo.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

and on a serious note...if i have half full supers...is it likely at all that this late flow of HB could see th bees complete them and therefore leave them for a fortnight or so?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes they could. Some people get a good flow from Balsam. There is a lot here where I live but it never produces much. I have taken my honey off and two weeks ago left two part filled supers on each hive in the hope the white dotted bees might put some in. No luck. Top supers are depleted so I've put a crown board between each for the bees to take the top super's honey down.
Next week they can have what's uncapped and I shall treat the lot.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ok, thanks...very helpful

 

[Millet]

I shall sniff a few ghost bees tomorrow...bet all it does is make me sneeze
Achooo.

Give it a go.. if it works i will start sniffing the pollen ASAP ...

 

[Beefriendly]

Give it a go.. if it works i will start sniffing the pollen ASAP ...

I'll keep you updated...but if it's good I may not be able to keep you updated

 

[Millet]

I'll keep you updated...but if it's good I may not be able to keep you updated

 

[Curly green fingers]

I'm putting a pollen trap in if I don't see bee friendly posting anymore ��..
The flow from HB is steady there's more pollen than nectar being stored though .
Erica ? Could you rather than putting the crown board in-between supers nadir it instead would you get the same results?

 

[Erichalfbee]

.
Erica ? Could you rather than putting the crown board in-between supers nadir it instead would you get the same results?

Yes, and I have done that in the past but my boxes are 14x12; big and heavy. When I have removed the nadired shallows in the spring I’ve lost a substantial number of frames to mould. The answer, I suppose, is to take the shallow away after the bees have emptied it or leave it and sacrifice the combs. I know my brood boxes are empty so there is plenty of room for a little incoming nectar and for the stores above to be taken down.

 

[Wingy]

My bees hit the HB just over 2 weeks ago and I added a super with 10 frames of foundation, in 2 weeks the bees had drawn 8 frames and were filling it nicely

 

[REDWOOD]

Usually early to mid september mine ravish the HB

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Im.getting excitwd here about 1.5 miles from Brentford / Islelworth Thames...last years the HB caused a lovely flow splurge until Her Magesty's river pirates come and cut it all back. This could make my lot,s summer...first white bodies being received now....

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

 

[victor meldrew]

of bees



anyone know what this is likely to be?



thanks

As advised, Himalayan Balsam .
This plant flowers and will secrete nectar until the frost kills it ! The only flower to give nectar later the Balsam is ivy .
I haven’t fed my bees for years , as the Balsam ensure s brood boxes stuffed with winter stores [emoji6]


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[Curly green fingers]

Yes, and I have done that in the past but my boxes are 14x12; big and heavy. When I have removed the nadired shallows in the spring I’ve lost a substantial number of frames to mould. The answer, I suppose, is to take the shallow away after the bees have emptied it or leave it and sacrifice the combs. I know my brood boxes are empty so there is plenty of room for a little incoming nectar and for the stores above to be taken down.

Thanks for that most of my hives have near enough full supers of honey and also as I'm broad/half . The Half's have stores to but hardly any in the brood box I wanted to leave as many stores as possible . I've been blessed this year by the weather and very helpful assocation members with queen's advice ect.. my second season but first honey crop and the is being consumed very rapidly...
I'm going to uncap stores nadir supers for a week then remove. Treat for varroa with apivar.
Winter preps next ..