yellow pollen today

[Cuckmere couple]

and lots of it piling in....all colonies active so bodes well for no losses

what do we think the yellow is, we have crocus and blackthorn out that i can see

 

[Boston Bees]

Hazel?

 

[Bumble Bee Slim]

Willow?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

ah...could be either...will go to my out apiary which is surrounded by willow and hazel to check

 

[Erichalfbee]

Willow. Hazel likely well over

 

[Curly green finger's]

Willow. Hazel likely well over

my girls on the common are bringing in willow, crocus, snowdrop pollen, nice to see them out foraging the first proper day this year, last year was the 12th of march, lovely sunny day today 13c.
Interesting though the willow isnt flowering very local.

 

[Erichalfbee]

my girls on the common


Interesting though the willow isnt flowering very local.

No mines not out yet either

 

[Boston Bees]

Willow. Hazel likely well over

Certainly not up here.

Maybe in Sussex

 

[Erichalfbee]

And in Ceredigion
Hazel is out in February here. Trees are yellow with them.

 

[Curly green finger's]

No mines not out yet either

It's flowering down the road so the girls are flying to it we went for a stroll to observe.

 

[JamezF]

Slim pickings on the willow here at the moment, too. Give it a week or two. The hazel is well over though. Hardly surprising given that the catkins were out before Christmas. The only thing I can sometimes see the bees working here is (what I think is) celandine, which has started flowering in the last week. My guess though is that they're foraging elsewhere for the time being.

James

 

[The Poot]

I watched some bees buzzing around hyacinths today and experienced the first bee bounce off the bald patch of the season.

 

[user 20297]

and lots of it piling in....all colonies active so bodes well for no losses

what do we think the yellow is, we have crocus and blackthorn out that i can see

With us it is almost certainly gorse.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Gorse pollen is a dirty orange brown

 

[user 20297]

Gorse pollen is a dirty orange brown

Thank-you for the correction. With us, the brownish-orange pollen, which looks yellow to me, is almost certainly gorse.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thank-you for the correction. With us, the brownish-orange pollen, which looks yellow to me, is almost certainly gorse.

Have you ever watched a bee collecting pollen from gorse, when a flower opens and pollen flys out?

 

[user 20297]

Have you ever watched a bee collecting pollen from gorse, when a flower opens and pollen flys out?

I will do that tomorrow; plenty to choose from around here.

 

[Robert Denny]

and lots of it piling in....all colonies active so bodes well for no losses

what do we think the yellow is, we have crocus and blackthorn out that i can see

We have plenty of fields of OSR just starting to flower here in Herefordshire so entirely possible you have too.

 

[elainemary]

Willow. Hazel likely well over

Can only dream! Still a couple of weeks off up here. My bees were scouting round looking for snowdrop and hellebore pollen yesterday. The greenhouse has been v busy as they’ve found the peach and apricot in flower, no need to use a paintbrush this year. Spending late afternoons rescuing bees stuck in the greenhouse and not able to work out how to leave. Think i’ll have to give in and give them a ultra bee patty!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Think i’ll have to give in and give them a ultra bee patty!

Oh I was so tempted too. I would love some dandelion honey and we have masses of those in April...fields full. but if I'm trying to build them up for that I've missed the boat.