Amber liquid on pollen sacs

millipede · August 01, 2013, 07:50:52 PM

I have seen maybe three bees over the last month in the hive with this on their pollen sacs. This one is actually fanning the entrance. Can anyone tell me what this is?

A higher resolution picture is available here : http://southernbeekeeper.blogspot.com/2013/08/zombees.html

Dimmsdale · August 01, 2013, 09:32:15 PM

Looks like propolise...

millipede · August 01, 2013, 09:59:47 PM

I did remove the entrance reducer and they were cleaning it up. Might be it.

Michael Bush · August 01, 2013, 10:17:22 PM

Propolis.

BeeMaster2 · August 02, 2013, 12:16:01 PM

Propolis, they have a hard time getting it off. Other bees actually remove it.
Jim

Michael Bush · August 02, 2013, 12:27:15 PM

Kind of looks like the worker returned with a load of propolis, no one unloaded them, and then she got recruited as a ventilator to fan the entrance.

Santa Caras · August 02, 2013, 12:39:47 PM

Amber is tree sap that has hardened to form stone. Is propolis basically the same thing? looks very similar.

BeeMaster2 · August 02, 2013, 11:39:46 PM

Yes but it is not stone. If it gets cold, it is very hard and cracks easily. If it gets hot, it is very sticky. The bees use it to seal up cracks in the hive, to coat rough wood and to seal up bugs or anything that dies in the hive that they cannot move out of the hive. SHB die on top of my STB, they starve to death or they are killed by the spiders that I leave in the STB. If I do not remove them within a day or so, the bees will propolis them right thorough the screen and they will be stuck onto the screen.
Jim