White spot on bee faces

[Lance Hutchings]

A lot of my bees appear to have a white spot/marking on their faces to varying sizes, any ideas ?
All it comes up with on google etc is Carpenter bees which they definetly arent lol

Thanks

 

[victor meldrew]

A lot of my bees appear to have a white spot/marking on their faces to varying sizes, any ideas ?
All it comes up with on google etc is Carpenter bees which they definetly arent lol

Thanks

Think pollen .
Some one will answer from what flower

VM

 

[SixFooter]

Every year! But then it scared me in my first year!

 

[Lance Hutchings]

Phew !
Thought it was going to be some weird and wonderful disease !!
Thanks both of you

 

[RosieMc]

Balsam?

Try searching 'balsam pollen' in images

 

[chickendave]

Balsam?

Try searching 'balsam pollen' in images

 

[garethbryson]

Its early for balsam is it not???

 

[Chris Luck]

No Balsam here and many of mine have a white spot on their faces from time to time AND they often have white bums as well.

Chris

 

[Swarm]

Balsam is beginning to flower here. I'd expect to see a load of 'silver backs' coming in, not white faces.

 

[kazmcc]

I was reading Storch ( again ) last night and read something about Orchids leaving horns on bees heads.

" .....a forager looking for nectar enters the flower, it comes into contact with two sticky pollen sacs which stick to it's head "

I know it says two, but maybe there are some flowers that do the same with one. It's possible.

 

[Chris Luck]

Well it's yellow bums and faces now, sunflower time, very busy bees.

Chris

 

[victor meldrew]

Well it's yellow bums and faces now, sunflower time, very busy bees.

Chris

Golden rod leaves pollen on the faces of honeybees !

VM

 

[Chris Luck]

Golden rod leaves pollen on the faces of honeybees

Would that be both types, Canadian and native?

Chris

 

[Cazza]

I was reading Storch ( again ) last night and read something about Orchids leaving horns on bees heads.

" .....a forager looking for nectar enters the flower, it comes into contact with two sticky pollen sacs which stick to it's head "

I know it says two, but maybe there are some flowers that do the same with one. It's possible.

The pollen sacs look like little feelers rather than spots though. They look quite comical but not something I'd like to have stuck on my head.
Cazza

 

[milkermel]

Think I posted a similar panic post last year, havent a clue where it is but was told it was himilayan balsam.

 

[Chris Luck]

The point is it could be any number of different pollens depending on what you have in the locality and in flower, in my case it couldn't be himilayan balsam because there isn't any where I am. Either way it isn't an issue.

Chris

 

[kazmcc]

The pollen sacs look like little feelers rather than spots though. They look quite comical but not something I'd like to have stuck on my head.
Cazza

I would just love to see that

 

[Chris Luck]

Have you actually seen this Cazza and if so what Orchid is it?

It certainly isn't all of them, I have 6 types of Orchid on our land all around the hives and have never seen such a thing.

Chris

 

[kazmcc]

Storch doesn't say, he just says some types of Orchids.

 

[Chris Luck]

Yes I know Storch doesn't say, that's why I was asking Cazza who appeared to have seen it judging by their post. Also as part of my general naturalist activities I've never come across it myself having observed a fair number of orchids when flowering.

Just interested, it would be good to know.

Chris