pollen 11-1-2012

[jmgi]

Today is 50 and clear and the bees are still bringing in pollen, white and orange, I don't have any idea where they are getting it as everything is brown and going to seed, but they seem to find it. John

[Splatt]

Today is 50 and clear and the bees are still bringing in pollen, white and orange, I don't have any idea where they are getting it as everything is brown and going to seed, but they seem to find it. John

Same thing going on here! There's still snow on the ground, it's overcast, everything is wilted and/or brown, yet they're bringing it in, bright orange pollen.

Maybe it's bits from old "Cheetos".

[Colleen O.]

I didn't see if they were bringing in any pollen today, but am amazed my NWC hive bees are out flying at 47°F. If the sun is out they fly at a few degrees below 50. The Buckfast hive is in a cluster still (looked in the observation window). Sun or no, they don't seem to fly under 50. Both hives were bringing in pollen a week ago but we had some frost since then so I am guessing there isn't much left to harvest.

[psfred]

No pollen today, but both hives had a nice orientation flight around noon and are still flying, hauling out dead bees, and in general sunning themselves.

Nice to see all the activity -- only ten or twelve weeks until the spring pollen shows up around here!

Peter

[wadehump]

Close to 60 today and brite sun had some pollen coming in it was brite orange

[ubernerd]

Same thing going on here! There's still snow on the ground, it's overcast, everything is wilted and/or brown, yet they're bringing it in, bright orange pollen.

55 and sunny here today, and I'm seeing the same thing. Bright yellow pollen in my corner of the valley. I have no idea where they're finding it, as I can't see anything in bloom.

[Sherman]

Depending on where you are in the U.S. witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is in bloom now. The flowers often go unnoticed because the plant flowers so late in the year, the flowers are yellow and blend in with any remaining leaves which also turn yellow in fall.

Here's a link to a blog by a beekeeper seeing his bees on witch hazel.
http://joansnaturejournal.blogspot.c...oney-bees.html

--Sherman

[delber]

Last year I was shocked to see the girls bringing in polen on Jaunary 3rd. Buckets and buckets from where? I'm thankful that they know where.