Pollen to the Hive

[Craig]

I have what seems like a simple question that might help answer a more complex question!(or not!) as to weather a hive is queen right.

I see my bees bringing a lot of pollen back to their hives. I know that pollen is collected to raise brood. Does this mean that I have an active Queen laying, or will workers bring back pollen with no one to feed it to?

[MiddleofMae]

I have what seems like a simple question that might help answer a more complex question!(or not!) as to weather a hive is queen right.

I see my bees bringing a lot of pollen back to their hives. I know that pollen is collected to raise brood. Does this mean that I have an active Queen laying, or will workers bring back pollen with no one to feed it to?

I'm just going into my second year, so I'm not an expert - but the last few weeks I've seen both of my hives bringing in pollen lately. When I opened the weaker of the two, I was surprised because there was absolutely no brood or queen to speak of. Just rows and rows of empty brood frames with pollen in them. It looked to me like a queenless hive with aimless workers not knowing what to do except get more pollen and hope for the best.

One of the telltale signs you'll see of a queenright hive is evidence of a "hatching" where all the nurse bees suddenly become foragers and start their orientation flights. They'll venture outside (usually early afternoon on a warm sunny day), walk up the hive, take off, circle around a few feet, then come back to the hive. Usually there are scores of them, forming a cloud at the entrance.

[indypartridge]

Seeing them bring in pollen is a good sign that you have a laying queen, but not definitive.

[jmgi]

A queenless or laying worker hive will both bring in pollen. John

[c10250]

I figure a lot of pollen coming back into the hive means a lot of brood.
A little pollen here and there . .. IDK

I remember a study where a hive with little brood was given brood pherome. The pollen being brought into the hive increased greatly once the brood pherome was applied.

[Rick 1456]

This is just my observation:
I've had my share of queenless and layer worker situations. Bees are going to bring pollen in, it is a job and a necessity. When you have several hives that are rollin in with pollen, and one that isn't, there is concern that something is up. IMO. When I see that, I go in to the hive. I have, more often than not, a laying worker situation. I have also found, a queen that was a drone layer. This time of year, I mostly find a queen that is slower to kick into high gear brood production.(lots of reasons for that) But, I still check.
When in doubt, check it out. Lessons to be learned.

[FlowerPlanter]

What about a hive that brings in very little to none and sister hive bringing in lots?

[Rick 1456]

Warrants looking into to see why and if something needs to be fixed. Don't know what your weather is, but I've seen where a lower populated hive is slow to get up and go till temps are such they can spare the foragers from keeping brood warm. JMO