[calkal]

Since this 70 to 80ﾟ weather started I have been seeing pollen come in.

Plenty of drones flying in all the yards, lots of eviction going on too, some colonies have quite a little pile of drones under the entrances.

There is a dark golden color pollen and another is a lighter lemon lime color and the last one is a whitish grey color and they are bringing in gobs of it. Any idea what this might be? I am in northern Wisconsin. My guess is pig feed or chicken feed or corn pollen, But I'm hoping it is from a flower like aster.

 

[Murdock]

Asters and Goldenrod in my area. IF you smell "dirty socks" while near the hive that's probably what it is.

 

[GregB]

There is a dark golden color pollen

Dandelion of course.
Go and check nearby lawns and parks.

 

[GregB]

Asters and Goldenrod in my area. IF you smell "dirty socks" while near the hive that's probably what it is.

Here is WI (OP's state) - Asters and Goldenrod are long gone.
There is nothing to smell.
But if the weather stays warm (and it is for now) - late dandelions often bloom in parks (sometimes even heavily).

 

[calkal]

Well it is awfully late for dandelion but I have seen a couple I would say about one bloom per acre 😃

 

[GregB]

Well it is awfully late for dandelion but I have seen a couple I would say about one bloom per acre 😃

Not late - but rather it depends year by a year.
Dandelions very commonly have a second bloom in late fall, sometimes significant - fyi.
Keep looking anywhere where they mow but NOT spray and may get surprised.
For sure in my vicinity there is a pretty good pollen flow right now - mostly dandelion (and some other pollen too).

 

[calkal]

Oh ya I know about their 2nd spring in the fall but it is well past that time too, we are squarely in zone 3. Until this warm spell hit our ground was already frozen with many nights between 10 and 20 degrees F.

 

[jimbo3]

Am I the only one that can no longer see each person's location?

 

[dekster]

Am I the only one that can no longer see each person's location?

Now you have to hover over their avatar to see more details (on PC). A bit annoying as it takes extra step for each post...

 

[jimbo3]

Now you have to hover over their avatar to see more details (on PC). A bit annoying as it takes extra step for each post...

ahh, thank you.

 

[broncorm]

List of pollen sources - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[AHudd]

ahh, thank you.

Or hover on the flag under the Avatar.
We are still seeing bright yellow pollen.

Alex

 

[LarryBud]

I'm seeing the girls bring back the same dark gold, yellow and white pollen here in Central Jersey and they are definitely flying strong-sun up till dark. Saw some spotty patches of blue aster in the field but not enough to bring ack what I;m seeing in pollen coming in. It may explain the white but not the others. Also some dandelions and even some clover but few and far between. It's been in the low 70's F here with nights in the upper 40's F pretty much for the last 2 weeks when we had one night of a light freeze. Not seeing much in the way of forage, I put a couple gallons of syrup on the top feeders and they're taking well. I'm concerned that with little forage they'll burn up winter stores although the hives are still heavy. Also looks like another 10 days of 60's and 70 going forward and no freeze in the long term. Almost to Thanksgiving!

 

[Cloverdale]

We saw the bees collecting sawdust. So maybe what you are seeing might be something similar. I started feeding them dry pollen, piles of it gone in a few hours. Not all the hives.

 

[dekster]

No, certainly not sawdust- some of pollen always falls through screened bottom board, so I tasted it- the orange tasted unusually sweet... I walked quite a bit today trying to find any plant whatsoever in the vicinity, but could not see anything. Still they manage to find it somewhere, maybe deeper in the forest, I can't tell...

 

[GregB]

Oh ya I know about their 2nd spring in the fall but it is well past that time too, we are squarely in zone 3. Until this warm spell hit our ground was already frozen with many nights between 10 and 20 degrees F.

Dandelions still can bloom.
We had freeze and snow by now - did not matter; they are blooming as we speak.
3-4 years ago now - we had a crazy thaw in November and there were carpets of dandelion bloom.

Anyway, if not it - hard to see anything else blooming - but something definitely does.

 

[Tigger19687]

I can't see where people are due to my tablet.

We in Massachusetts have a warm up of 70s for a week. Not sure anything will grow now.
But we still have Mums and at work I have seen some bees on them.... not my bees I am 4 miles from home so it's not them lol
Golden rod is gone too

Anyone know if this has happened in the past and what kinda of screwy it makes the bees as far as stores go ?
I'm worried they will try to make brood thinking it's the warm up spring.

I took off the feeders and switched to winter screen so I can't inside feed now. I am outside open feeding Green syrup. I want to make sure they have enough and I don't mind the others bees coming (except yellows) had a HUGE bumblebee might have been carpenter bumble? Solid black butt and shiny it was Twice the size of my normal Bumbles.
But I'm worried about the heat in November!

 

[AHudd]

Warm Winter weather will cause them to use more of their stores because they remain more active while nothing is coming in. Your are wise to keep an eye on them.
I think brooding up is tied to lengthening daylight hours.

Alex

 

[GregB]

I'm worried they will try to make brood thinking it's the warm up spring.

This is one reason (in fact, the main reason) - you don't want to insulate too early.
Keep them cool and let them settle in.
I hear some of my local folks already wrapped and insulated for the winter - a mistake.

Of course the genetics is major factor.
The right bee will not start thinking "it is spring".
I got some wrong bees still brooding rather heavily.

 

[Tigger19687]

Thank you for your answers
I had sceen upper box with burlap in it just for condensation. I have not wrapped anything either since our temps are so wacky.
I was waiting till temps are high 30's before I wrap. I too was worried about over heating. But I'm just doing roofing felt and if I can scroundge some insulation board, will put that ontop of another burlap bag then cover.
my hive is in my 30x15 back yard with either fence, shed or house surrounding it so I shouldn't need a wind break. I'll keep some pallets in the shed in case we get a storm though