Why bumble bees trying to get in my strong hive

[tom]

Hello All

 I have to know and maybe someone can help i have three hives and the strong one is having problems with bumble bees trying to enter. I have even seen them with pollen on their legs trying to enter but my bees are fighting them off why would they try to enter and trying to bring in pollen. They won't mess with the two weak ones but the strong one they are always hanging around. The last time they entered my weak hives the bees let them in but they came out dead.So far i have killed five of them and they try with all their might to enter but no luck and they are always crawling on the ground in front searching for a way in they only come in the evenings and early morning.

Tom

[thegolfpsycho]

They are opportunists.  A little free honey never hurt anyone.  I see it here frequently as well.  I never noticed pollen on them, so I don't know what that might indicate.

[Brian D. Bray]

I believe that unlike honeybees bumblebees will gather pollen and nector simultaineously.   Not finding nector in the flowers they're working they are trying to get it from an alternate source.

[Joe]

I see a few bumble bees trying to enter my hives on occasion, I've never seen one actually make it in though, the bees just won't allow it.  Usually the bumble bee just gives up and flies away.

[Jerrymac]

I believe that unlike honeybees bumblebees will gather pollen and nector simultaineously.   Not finding nector in the flowers they're working they are trying to get it from an alternate source.

Are you saying that a bee while gathering nectar, will not take the pollen of that flower with her? So she will come back later for the pollen?

[TwT]

most of the time when I see one in or around my hives it is usually on top of the intercover dead....

[Joe]

Are you saying that a bee while gathering nectar, will not take the pollen of that flower with her? So she will come back later for the pollen?

That is correct, honey bees generally only forage for either pollen or nectar.

[Jerrymac]

So as they are getting down into the plant to get the necter and the pollen gets on their hairy bodies, they don't rake that stuff into their pollen sacks? They just let it drop off if it will or should it manage to stay on there, which it does, what do they do with it when they get to the hive? Throw it out?

[Brian D. Bray]

On occasion you will see foragers come back to the hive covered with pollen but none in the sacks on the legs.  Those bee were foraging for nector, not pollen, and the  pollen got on simply via contact.  The housekeeper bees will clean the bee up--make use of the pollen--and the forager goes back to collecting nectar.
Note that the bees comming back with red lumps on the legs are gathering propolis.  Each forager gathers only one type of product during its entire life: nector, pollen, or propolis.  
They never switch from their original assignment.

[Shizzell]

On occasion you will see foragers come back to the hive covered with pollen but none in the sacks on the legs. Those bee were foraging for nector, not pollen, and the pollen got on simply via contact. The housekeeper bees will clean the bee up--make use of the pollen--and the forager goes back to collecting nectar.
Note that the bees comming back with red lumps on the legs are gathering propolis. Each forager gathers only one type of product during its entire life: nector, pollen, or propolis.
They never switch from their original assignment.

Sounds like Communism, heh.  :lol:

[Michael Bush]

>nector, pollen, or propolis

Actually I think would say nector/pollen, necatr, pollen, propolis, or water.

Walt Wright calls the nector/pollen a "split load".