[HTB]

Gonna have to have a safety meeting I guess.

 

[JWPalmer]

Something does not look right. For the bees to be dropping collected pollen, there would be little pellets, not powder.

 

[bushpilot]

That looks like dry Ultrabee.

 

[Boondocks]

Something does not look right. For the bees to be dropping collected pollen, there would be little pellets, not powder.

I saw this last summer in NE Georgia. The bees were bring back the pellets of pollen but the pine tree pollen was on everything (I do not think the bees harvest it) and was falling off of the bees as they were landing.
Apopka, FL is next to Orlando which is having its pollen season right now.

Pollen count and allergy info for South Apopka, FL - The Weather Channel | weather.com

Allergy Tracker gives pollen forecast, mold count, information and forecasts using weather conditions historical data and research from weather.com

weather.com

 

[HTB]

It's pollen pellets dispersed by rain, it caught my eye from the porch and I went down to check it out. I could see a few pellets, strange it was only at one colony though and as I'm looking down at it now, it's gone. I haven't fed ultra bee in several months.

 

[JWPalmer]

Interesting. I have sprinkled Ultrabee on the landing boards in the past and the bees will collect and eat it. It did look just like the picture you posted. The inserts under my screened bottom boards are often littered with dropped pollen pellets. Too bad they are mixed with a bunch of detritus.

 

[HTB]

I was surprised by how sweet pollen balls are. The first time I saw one loose I dabbed it with my finger and tried it and have eaten every one I since.

 

[JWPalmer]

The bees use nectar to hold the pollen together so I would expect them to be sweet. I have never tried fresh pollen, maybe I am missing out?

 

[crofter]

I have watched bee foraging pollen sub from a wheel barrow and they seem to spend a lot of time hovering and also a lot of time gathering the dust from their bodies and building the load on their legs. Somewhere in the vagaries of my brain I seem to remember that they build up an electrical charge that attracts the pollen. Perhaps they then need to wet it a bit to form the pellet. I dont notice them putting as much effort into it when they are working flowers. There is also a thin dusting of pollen sub on the ground all around the source. Do they have to lift off and recharge?

Once there is natural pollen available they dont seem to pay much attention to my offerings. Is it the composition or that it is hard stuff to build a load from?