yellow pollen

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Has anyone else seen very yellow pollen coming in recently ? Confused me untill I saw a field of Autumn sown rape with a few confused plants already flowering
 
Yellow pollen

Same here. I could not understand where they are getting it from.The activity around both hives is one of early spring.
 
although ivy and rape pollen are nominaly the same colour, there is a world of difference in reality ( rapes "yellower" !/brighter )
 
Also lots of fields of mustard around, in full bloom at the moment,very similar to rape to look at.

How could autumn sown rape be sown now, and in flower at the same time?
 
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Any mustard round here has been harvested by now and the stragglers near the hedge have stopped flowering over a month ago, thats why I was confused until I saw the osr, about 2 1/2 " of foliage and the odd plant flowering, no pigeon damage as yet
 
Autumn rape is normally soen in late August, as soon as the previous crop has been harvested!

Summer sown then,not autumn in august now is it. But it's very quick for it to be in flower i agree,wonder if there will be any flowers left on it by next april.
 
Went to have a look at some of mine today all still very active and taking lots of pollen in yellow, brick red and beige, most of the hives are now so heavy it is hard to left two legs of the ground, only two hives a little on the light side and need a bit more feed, still a few wasps around and found a few queen wasps in some of the roofs, chris
 
I too have yellow, orange and white pollen coming in. They are so busy! Its great to watch and great to watch them kicking out the odd wasp:)
 
I think that what you have is mustard sown for game (pheasant) cover. I have a hive near a field of flowering mustard and they seem to be collecting a lot of pollen. Not sure if they are producing nectar. They have pods set but I suspect they are self pollinating. Any builds?
 
What colour pollen do you get from sunflowers? there are still quite a few in flower round us and the bees seem to love it, there's also a little ragwort in flower close by which the bumble bees seem to love (although I pull it up whenever I find it in my fields.)
 
Bees in Tipperary bringing in yellow pollen as well . Dose it mean they are feeding
young at the moment or do adult bees feed on pollen as well ?
Regards
Liam C
 
Bees in Tipperary bringing in yellow pollen as well . Dose it mean they are feeding
young at the moment or do adult bees feed on pollen as well ?
Regards
Liam C

Adult bees eat bee bread a mixture of honey and pollen.
Much of the pollen will be stored for the winter.
 
My bees have been bringing in yellow pollen too. I live about 1/2 mile from a heath where there is loads of gorse which normally flowers in early spring but is starting to flower now.

Not sure if this is where they are getting it from - I'll ask next time I am out in the apiary.
 

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