Hello all
I sat and watched this morning and notice my three hives coming and going as always but i notice that in the early mornings they are bringing in more pollen and equal amount of bees coming back with nothing but they can barely make it back. Now in the evening they slow down to almost only trhee or four bees are coming and going could what ever they are working in the mornings till the late afternoon be blooming and then slow down as the evening comes.
Tom
The pollen is more easily freed from the flower after is opens in the mornings. Bee gathering just nectar will often look like they have nothing but fly as if they are more loaded down than those carrying pollen, because they are. As the day progresses the pollen gathering bees call it a day much earlier than the nectar gathering bees so after 5 pm the activity of the hive begins to drop noticeably.
In the evening the flowers close up again until the next morning so the bees returning late could be called stragglers but are returing from the last trip. since the flowers close up at night bees stop making out going flights as evening approaches.
Hello
Thank you Mr. Bray for this important information because i see them start to slow down in the evening and they stop bringing in nector before the evening comes and nothing but workers returning without nothing and like you said they are coming in with nector.
Tom
also the heat of the day will dry some of the nectar plants out, some plants only give nectar in the mornings, dandelions for example= will open when the sun is shining high from like 9:00am-2pm then close back up especially if they get in the shade, plants are different but most plants nectar will be dried up before noon..
When the clover blooms in spring, it usually only produces when on lyme or clay soil and, only after about 3:00pm.