The bees close to lawn watering systems are packing in pollen this morning. 55 mph winds forecast for this afternoon and I am heading out to fill frame feeders one more time before the next weighing to see who else drops off the skinny list! Three weaklings had spoiled syrup that was replaced so I am eager to see if they stored the new syrup. Day time temps were at mid nineties just three weeks ago and an eighty degree day will be a rarity from now on. The time to get bees fed and for them to get stores dehydrated is getting less and less here in the high cold desert. Time to enjoy the bees and watch the leaves turn colors.
Packing in the pollen!
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Zone 3, Major pollen flow here for the past 7 days. I mean copious amounts of pollen. I think nectar also because in the evening and in the mornings they are really fanning. By looking at the colors of the pollen in their baskets and by seeing them on many different types of flowers I estimate between 8-10 different pollen sources. Pretty exciting. We have already had 2 light frosts and 2 hard frosts, I thought it was all over so happy to see them packing in the pollen, I know that it is spring baby food. The flow coincided with a really nice stretch of warm weather (high 70's F) its all about to change. Starting next week highs in the low 50's. I am glad they had this chance to stuff the nest full. Few things are as satisfying as seeing tons of pollen streaming into the colonies.
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I have the same thing here in central NJ. Yellow and white coming in like I've never seen before. Still not peaked out on goldenrod and aster yet and the hive has loads of brood, new foragers doing orientation flights. Slower activity early in the morning but once the sun's on the hives, they're coming out in mass and heavy flying all day. Still have supers on and can smell the goldenrod in the bee yard. I'm a little north of Akademee and we see the sunk cabbage in early February-first frost in a month away.
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