[goose]

I went outside this morning and heard the unmistakable buzzing sound of honeybees. After following it and locating it, the live oak tree above my head was full of bees. It wasn't a swarm, though. They looked like they were foraging, which I thought was strange. The live oak is just starting to put out acorns. There isn't any pollen-bearing flowers on it.

So, I'm just wondering if anybody has seen bees on live oaks before like this at this time of year and what they might be gathering.

There's another live oak in my yard and I checked it out. It was full of bees.

And when I say there were bees on them, I mean like on a flowering plant - not just a few - they were in abundance.
:scratch:

 

[Oldbee]

I'm not familiar with the Live Oak tree but take a close look at the leaves; especially around the area where the acorns are forming. See if there is any indication of honey dew and the presence of ants and/or aphids.

Interesting article and photo about oak galls also. >Honey bee on gall photo. >
> http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/images/mp-1315_9.jpg I don't know if it applies to what you are seeing.

"..gall tissue secretes sweet exudations which accumulate on the outer gall surface. These secretions are rich in sugars and serve as a food source for a wide variety of insects including small flies, large predatory wasps, butterflies and honeybees, with the latter usually the most abundant (figure 9). All of these gall visitors feed on the secretions until galls begin to dry in late fall."

http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/mp-1315.html

 

[goose]

Thanks, oldbee. The article is very informative & interesting.