pollen gathering...

[SuperBee]

:eek: duh i just now noticed another post similar to this one. sorry, but anyway..


well, first i'm happy to report that i hived my first package without a sting!

things seem to be going well despite the unseasonably cold weather. they were hived 3 days ago with the queen in her cage. i have not checked on them yet due to the cold (45F) weather. the foundation is plastic with a wax coating.

i observed the bees gathering pollen today and was wondering if that was a sign of anything going on inside the hive (queen released, comb being drawn, etc). also, what is the difference between yellow and orange pollen? do they prefer one over the other?

[Joel]

Bees bringing in pollen means nurse bees taking care of brood or expecting to soon be caring for brood. Queenless bees rarely gather pollen so it looks like your queen is most likely released and accepted. The pollen will change through out the season. It reflects the flowers the pollen is coming from. You should have several spring flowers in bloom. Don't be so happy about no stings. smile.gif You will want to get your stings in early to build up your resistance so you aren't swelling, itching and scratching in the heat of July. At any rate have a great season and make lots of honey!

[Chef Isaac]

Joel is right, bringing in pollen means that there is a queen. But it also means that foundation is being drawn out. As noted by Jim, no drawn foundation, no where to store, no pollen. Makes since to me!

[Michael Bush]

>Queenless bees rarely gather pollen so it looks like your queen is most likely released and accepted.

And when queenless bees DO gather pollen they seem to go totally overboard on it. I wouldn't consider pollen gathering as proof of a queen.

Bees do prefer certain pollen over other kinds based on the nutrional value of the pollen.