[NewbeeInNH]

Pollen.com says pollen is out now on maple, birch and ash.

Does that sound right, and do the bees like this kind of pollen?

Of course, right now it's supposed to be 18F tonight, so they're not going anywhere the next couple days probably.

 

[burns375]

maple is one of the first , they will build up nicely on it if temps are good for foraging.

 

[drlonzo]

Maple is excelent pollen as well as nectar. In some areas of the north people have been known to fill honey supers with just maple flow. Birch and ash also produce good pollen. Here in WV those trees are just starting to open up to us, Redbud, Willow, cherry, and dandelion as well as henbit is going crazy here now.

 

[Gus979]

Thanks for the excellent resource. Not to add noise to this, but last week in Wisconsin I noticed my 2nd year hives bringing in a pale yellow pollen so our season must be just about to start up.

 

[hedges]

Add to that aspen and willow. They're early and in bloom here (Massachusetts). Forsythia if it's up there.

 

[camero7]

Have never seen bees on the Forsythia around me.

 

[ruthiesbees]

Maple is excelent pollen as well as nectar. In some areas of the north people have been known to fill honey supers with just maple flow.

It's been very strange weather here in Tidewater, VA. My bees have packed 7 topbars full of honey, which I am assuming to be this maple nectar since the hollies, autumn olives, and redbuds have just started blooming this past week.

 

[NewbeeInNH]

Good, then they should be set on food source now, one less thing to worry about.

 

[Bob J]

Tons of Maple bloom (silver and red) where I am in Massachusetts..... Now if we could only get some warm weather.... My mutts were foraging in the rain the other day.... We had snow yesterday morning and in the afternoon they were foraging with the temps only just above 40F.... Coldest I have ever seen them out..... They hit my crocuses pretty well a few days ago when we had a warm spell but they are mostly done now.... No sign of Dandelions yet.....

 

[Ramona]

Hi Bob, Are you home? We're on our way to Cohasset to move bees to the island in Quincy. Our red maple bloomed last week and Dean was able to get some great photos. Our bees in central Mass. have been bringing in pollen for a couple of weeks...off white, pale yellow and bright yellow.

One photo Dean got was of a bee with huge loads of pollen, sticking her tongue into the maple for some néctar. I thought that bees focussed either on pollen or néctar and if they went for both, the mixed loads would be lighter for each. Maybe the bee wih the huge baskets was just thirsty? Or really strong?

Ramona

 

[Bob J]

Hi Bob, Are you home? We're on our way to Cohasset to move bees to the island in Quincy. Our red maple bloomed last week and Dean was able to get some great photos. Our bees in central Mass. have been bringing in pollen for a couple of weeks...off white, pale yellow and bright yellow.

One photo Dean got was of a bee with huge loads of pollen, sticking her tongue into the maple for some néctar. I thought that bees focussed either on pollen or néctar and if they went for both, the mixed loads would be lighter for each. Maybe the bee wih the huge baskets was just thirsty? Or really strong?

Ramona

Hi Ramona! Good to hear from you and that your bees are doing well..... Am working today so will unfortunately will miss you but I have to say the mutts are doing great.... I overwintered them in a split (Michael Palmer style) nuc alongside a carni colony.... Carnis starved out (my fault - Fed them a sugar brick in late feb just in case but they blew through that and starved out by mid March).... Difference in the overwinter colony size was pretty dramatic.... Should have taken a picture.... Carni colony was soccer ball sized while the locals were softball sized.... Guess I underestimated what it takes to keep that many bees going through this endless (it seems anyway) winter.....:-(