First flow
My bees were on a flow of some kind yesterday, the first I have noticed this year. They were also bringing in lots of pollen, mostly dark orange to brown. I didn't see any red coming in to indicate maples. Anybody else in our area experiencing a flow?
Ross
www.myoldtools.com
Man am I envious!!!!! Sitting in the tundra and
wondering why..........
Isn't maple pollen pale grey/greenish?
I don't think even red-maple pollen is colored "red". I could be wrong, but I think here in central NC it's a pale grey/off-white/greenish color. We should start seeing it Jan 31 to mid-Feb depending on how long this cold-snap lasts. Of course those Texas maples could be different.
Triangle Bees
I think it may be elms or cedars. Dunno why, but I do. All of my foragers were working like crazy bringing in a pinkish load and a few had a golden pollen. It's a great thing, all right.
Just checked mine, 49F at 11:45, and just a very few working bringing in a very dark reddish brown pollen. Mostly the Bees were just trying to soak up a little sun.
I'll go check.
68of / light wind / clean ... 2 kinds of pollen coming in yellow and off white.
Last edited by Texas Bee; 01-19-2009 at 11:46 AM.
Mike
Looked at mine this weekend and they were bringing in a lot of pollen. Most was yellow or dirty white.
Opened up one thats a strong double deep and the bottom box had 3 frames of brood including some capped drone cells.
Johnny
Yea I had a little flow today some of the ice on top of my truck melted and ran down the windshield after the truck had been rinning for 2 hours. Boy I can't wait for spring. It seems as if this has been a long winter and we still have 4 months to go. Good luck down there in Texas I hope you get sunburned. Just kidding Make lots of honey Tony
Ross, had a pretty good flow yesterday. Looks like it is continuing today after it has warmed up a little. Bees are really working my Cedar Elms but I have no idea what the nectar source is. Also saw a few "newbees" on their orientation flights.
Tom
Sundance, they are just trying to make us envious!
Ya know, I think they succeeded!
Larry Edwards
Could it have been Dandelions? I was at the park yesterday and I stopped counting after 150 or so I saw in nice full bloom. And saw bees working a few.
Last edited by Hambone; 01-19-2009 at 03:38 PM.
Ghost sit around the campfire and tell stories about Chuck Norris.
Y'all down there, just wait until our nawthan flows starts - y'all's flows be dryin' up, and bees beggin for water. Yep, I dare say.Originally Posted by LBEE
MM
Derek, could be Dandelions. Have seen a lot of them lately. In fact, the first I saw was December 22.
Tom
I've got tons of pollen coming in and a small amount of eucalyptus flow. One hive is bringing in blaze orange pollen that is driving me nuts trying to figure out what it is.
Hey Flyman, my bees at Terrell had a good fall. I'm hoping for a big mesquite flow this year. How is spring down there. I'm about 1/2 mile north of 80, near the John Deere place.
Ross
www.myoldtools.com
-20f two days ago.I was going to spring for little tiny parkas for the bees but though they would inhibit there flying ability.pollen probly frozen any
How do ya'll know they were on a flow? Let me refrase it ( I know ya'll know. But if I was there looking at the samething. How would I the newbee know they were on a flow?)
Ghost sit around the campfire and tell stories about Chuck Norris.
it's just plain meanness.creul.i thought i saw my bees bringing in some really white pollen......
A flow is generally recognized by the bees being much more active with dozens taking off and landing at a time; a steady stream in and out of the hive, in my case all headed and coming from the same direction.
Ross
www.myoldtools.com
we're about 3 weeks away from the first source of pollen in our area, which is hazel nut, it's a yellow pollen. overlaping this by a week or 2 is cedar. I've seen the bees in the cedar trees by the droves and the pollen they were carrying was red. at the same time as this, the poplar tree is out. the bees go nuts over this and even work the tassels that have fallen to the ground, that pollen is almost a flourecent orange with a tinge of red, very hard to describe. after this is pussy willow (march) and that pollen is yellow and i believe that it might also be the first source of nectar, although very little. all of this leads up to the first weeks of april when our dandilions, maple, and wild cherry trees start blooming (quite often simultanuosly) with any luck in weather it would be our first surplus we gather. dandilion pollen is bright orange, the maple pollen is whitesh pale green and happens to be the most nutritious of all pollens we get through the season, while the cherry is kind of grey to beige-ish brown.
Gosh, i gotta quiet writting novels in these forums HA HA. but thanks for taking the time to read.
Will Gruenwald Chilliwack BC
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