If there is a nectar dearth, is there still pollen available? And if they seem to be almost all, bringing in pollen, is this a sign of nectar dearth?
Im too new to answer that with any authority. I see mine bringing in alot of pollen, but fattys still coming back without, so I guess they are finding a source somewhere. G
my bees are bringing in pollen and the dearth has been on for a few weeks. i know they are working my corn for pollen and most likely grasses this time of year in this area.
I've seen lots of pollen come in during the Fall, long after the flowers are gone.
I have no idea where they're collecting it from.
At my farm, when there is a dearth, all summer long, I hear the bees and find them collecting yellow pollen from the Bahea grass seed stems. Don't ask me where the yollow pollen comes from. All I see is green seeds with what looks like black pollen.
Jim
>If there is a nectar dearth, is there still pollen available?
Often, yes.
>And if they seem to be almost all, bringing in pollen, is this a sign of nectar dearth?
They are stocking it away for later. They store pollen as they store nectar, for times when it's not available.
Quote from: sawdstmakr on July 31, 2014, 12:59:57 PM
At my farm, when there is a dearth, all summer long, I hear the bees and find them collecting yellow pollen from the Bahea grass seed stems. Don't ask me where the yollow pollen comes from. All I see is green seeds with what looks like black pollen.
Jim
I see them all over my Bahia right now and they too all have sacs full of bright yellow pollen from what looks like black pollen on the stalks.
Bobby
Quote from: swflcpl on August 06, 2014, 11:50:34 PM
Quote from: sawdstmakr on July 31, 2014, 12:59:57 PM
At my farm, when there is a dearth, all summer long, I hear the bees and find them collecting yellow pollen from the Bahea grass seed stems. Don't ask me where the yollow pollen comes from. All I see is green seeds with what looks like black pollen.
Jim
I see them all over my Bahia right now and they too all have sacs full of bright yellow pollen from what looks like black pollen on the stalks.
Bobby
Isn't that amazing. I need to collect some of the Bahia seed pods and look at it under the microscope.
Jim
Actually just was outside this morning in the bright sun and saw the pollen floating away from seed heads. The black is just flower petals and the pollen is definitely yellow shaking it onto your hand.
Bobby
What Bobby said...get the sun at a low angle, get down low, and get someone to walk through the bahia grass. When there foot strikes a seedhead you'll see a "puff of smoke".
Here's some low-rez shots from a couple of years ago that I took with a little point-and-shoot camera...
(http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/intheswamp00/Honey%20Bees/Bees%20Foraging/hb_20120524_5679pp_cropLarge_zpsda55c783.jpg)
(http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/intheswamp00/Honey%20Bees/Bees%20Foraging/hb_20120524_5689pp_cropLarge_zps1bda3101.jpg)
(http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n153/intheswamp00/Honey%20Bees/Bees%20Foraging/hb_20120524_5689pp_crop2Large2_zpsa48458f5.jpg)
Great shots. I just went out to look for some and they're not there. Not sure if they only produce in the early morning or it's too hot for the ladies to fly. I don't have any bees yet but I save anything they use as food until it's no longer useful, ie cutting down Spanish needle or the Bahia, though I want that for the seed to keep it spreading and I use the hay for animal bedding. The wife isn't always appreciative of my helping the other species on the planet.
Bobby
Here's our Bahia plot.
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/07/yde4aqeg.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/07/adu3u2ah.jpg)
(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/08/07/patazyha.jpg)
I've seen them bringing pollen on warm days in the winter. I have no idea where they're finding that.
Could pollen be trapped in flowers as they wilt and die? Dried on the stem they could be a cache' of pollen that slowly becomes available as the flower structure slowly weathers away. Just a thought. :)
Ed
I recently asked this question about the black bracts located on the grass seed. I was finding them in the bottom of the hive. The bees are bringing them back and they were falling on the bottom board. Couldn't figure out what they were because I did not know bees worked bahia grass. Look on the bottom of your hive or in the oil tray and you will see these little black two winged bracts there. I learn something new everyday about these little creatures.
Sometimes your bees will bring back dust they find. There have been reports of them bringing in coal dust and storing it. The first hive in my OH had lots of cells filled with what I think was coal dust from the power plant across the river.
Jim