Pollen in November?

[caberwife]

We've had some warmer-than-usual weather this month, and today the bees were quite active. I noticed some of the girls going into the hive with their pollen baskets full. Where on earth are they gathering pollen now, when just about everything in the garden is dead? I'm curious!

Natalie

[raosmun]

Good question!! I was looking at a cut-out for this spring and noticed several gals bringing in pollen and we have had several nights in the 20s.
Bees are Bees.

[Grid]

During my lunchtime walks here in Ottawa, I've seen some dandelions in bloom. Not many, but some. It is a bit warm for November here, and they found a way.

[Michael Palmer]

You'd be surprised at what is still blooming. We're out wrapping yards in NY and VT. Everything is frozen dead and brown in the fields but still see a few goldenrod and aster after 2 weeks of low 20 deg nights and snow and freezing rain. Black mustard here and there. Is Witchhazel blooming yet?

[ChristopherA]

Yes...lots of pollen being brought in today, large amounts bright orange....and not to mention I did some open jar feeding today,,,5 quarts of sugar water down the hatches.....getting near 70's encourage...however could be bad too if the queen starts laying like a mad man.

[kg4jck]

Bees bring in pollen all year round here at the south end of Virginia Beach, Virginia. I don't know where they get it--they've been doing it for thousands of years!
Remember, Honey & pollen are the key to successful wintering. (Cold air won't kill them--but it will make them burn through their fuel quicker....)

[casper_zip]

Hey there:

Here in SW Louisiana, my bees keep coming to the front porch loaded down with pretty bright yellow pollen. Must be the "black eye susans", or goldenrod. Looks like they are about full up on syrup, not using much at all any more.

Best,

casper_zip

[merdoc]

I got the bright yellow pollen too.Theres tiny little flowers on weeds in my yard also.

[Nichols747]

It's pretty strange - I live in the Columbia River Gorge, we've had pretty much nothing blooming lately, and we even had snow the other day! The next day, the bees were bringing in gobs of bright yellow pollen. The funny thing, is my other hive, 15 miles away has nothing.

The only thing that makes sense, is that the pollen-rich hive is about a mile from a wildlife refuge that is basically a huge shallow lake/swamp, and the relatively warm water must be allowing something to bloom.

[bruce todd]

My bees were also bring in pollen today. I did see some Witch Hazel blooming the other day. Cold this week, but the last few days have been warm. The girls were flying today. Fun for November.

[Choodles]

I saw the same thing yesterday, and was pleasantly surprised. There was also a small orientation flight taking place. All in all, not too shabby for mid Nov in Maine!

[caberwife]

Grid, I live an hour east of you, between Ottawa and Montreal. We did have some snow for a couple of days at Hallowe'en (Ottawa too, as I recall.) I can't find anything alive in my garden but we live on a farm, so there must be things blooming in tucked-away places! Anyway, the girls are obviously more industrious and observant than I am if they are still finding pollen. I stopped feeding them in mid-October because it was getting too cold up here.

Fascinating stuff! I had no idea they'd still be finding pollen at this time of year, but I'm glad they are. And I thought I saw orientation flights yesterday as well. It was a beautiful sunny day, temps around 10 - 12C (warm for this time of year.) We are wrapping the hives tomorrow.

Natalie

[PAbeek]

Just finished playing with mine all my deeps are packed full and there packing in the pollen today. temp is 63 here. I had a late start on a cut out hive at the end of sept queen is now laying and they built out a whole deep hope they make it. All hives now have candy blocks and are secured for winter.

[Mikescomic]

I would suggest broccoli or any of the other cruciferous plants. I live in Aurora, Colorado and have broccoli in my garden. I've let it go to seed because I like broccoli sprouts. Honey bees have been quite active on it up till two weeks ago when we got serious cold weather that has lasted the whole time until today which is sunny in the mid 50's. During those two weeks it's been as cold as 18 degrees nighttime with two of those day time temperatures below freezing and the rest of the day time temperatures 40 or below. When I checked on it today a lot of it was still alive and some still blooming, though not nearly as robust as it was doing before the cold snap. As I looked, there was one honey bee doing her work. I was thinking cruciferous plants ought to be perfect bee plants because they're so waxy. They also have at least 1000 blooms a plant at peak. I don't know about the nectar though, I'm new to beekeeping and lost my hive last summer.

Mike

[Beesrfun]

I am in Maine I saw bees have bringing in pollen. We have had many frosts so I don't know what would be blooming.

[caberwife]

Broccoli, now there's a thought! And who knows what's blooming at the farms around me. Lots of people have gardens around here. After our October cold snap and frosts, we've had a lot of unseasonably warm weather this November (10C/50F or thereabouts today.) The girls were super-busy today, loaded up with pollen. They seem to be doing fine with their new "Bee Cozies". We wrapped the hive on Sunday.

I wish I could follow the girls and see where their secret pollen stashes are.

Natalie

[Tara]

North Virginia--its been chilly here, not quite freezing yet but close, and on the sunny days my girls are bringing in pollen as well. Not a ton, maybe 3-4 a minute on the nuc, and some just have very small amounts on their legs, but I can't figure out where they're getting it either! The leaves are falling off the trees and everything is brown! Maybe they're visiting the nursery half a mile away...

[DBeeCooper]

Last Saturday it was in the 60's here and I put a smaller entrance reducer on one of my hives. The opening was in a different location, so the returning bees were trying to enter at the previous location and getting backed up while they figured out the new entrance location. Just about every returning bee had orange pollen! I'm thinking it was from dandelions...

[Michael Palmer]

I'm thinking it was from dandelions...

Why not Goldenrod, which would be more likely.

[DBeeCooper]

Why not Goldenrod, which would be more likely.

It seems like all of the goldenrod around here is dead or has gone to seed and I've seen a few dandelions flowering recently. Also, the color reminded me of what I saw in the spring, which I thought was dandelions. However, you're probably right, given that so many bees were returning with the same type of pollen. It seems more likely that the bees found a protected enclave of goldenrod rather than dandelions.