Some of my hives will fly at 41 on a sunny day. Not really to collect pollen but short distances to stretch their wings and cleanse. Other hives won’t fly until its 50. I think the sun has a lot to do with getting out in the lower temps.Hi, all,
I was just wondering what others have observed as far as lowest foraging temperature?
-Thomas
I've seen them foraging in the Spring on sunny days when it was 38 degrees.
Risky condition foraging could be a bit of a red flag for some disease conditions. That said some bee types do clearly work in colder and wet conditions.
Some of my hives will fly at 41 on a sunny day. Not really to collect pollen but short distances to stretch their wings and cleanse. Other hives won’t fly until its 50. I think the sun has a lot to do with getting out in the lower temps.
Nosema and associated virus.Hey, Frank,
which diseases are you referring to?
thanks,
Thomas
Some of mine were also bringing back the bright yellow pollen yesterday with temps in the high 40s. I'd also like to know what plant it was coming from? Central Illinois.Hi, all,
I was just wondering what others have observed as far as lowest foraging temperature? Today the girls were bringing pollen back in around 55 degrees.
And what kind of pollen this time of year - bright yellow.
-Thomas
Working in too cold is not necessarily a good thing.
It is risky as in - you maybe loosing forager bees over unnecessary risk taking.
Losing bees over not much payback is a bad trait and would normally be terminated.
Suppose robbing a nearby colony maybe an OK risk/payback case.