Corn

jaseemtp · June 25, 2011, 09:33:29 AM

So for the past several days I have noticed my bees bringing a lot of this cream colored pollen, well for the life of me I could not figure out what it was. I mean we do have a second mesquite bloom going on right now. This morning I was out in the garden just checking things out when I noticed a lot of bees buzzing around the CORN. I could not believe it, I have been told time and time again that bees do not work corn. I figure these gals missed the memo. For the record it has been very hot and dry around here and most likely there is nothing else to work, they are just making the best of what is available to them. That said I have a much larger planting of Rose of Sharon that they seem to have given up on.

sc-bee · June 25, 2011, 02:50:23 PM

They will collect corn pollen if and I understand it is very poor nutritionally for the bees. I have also heard they will sometimes overfill the brood area with the nutritionally poor corn pollen.

I have not experienced this first hand --I believe I read it here on the forum.

rail · June 25, 2011, 03:12:18 PM

Sounds like their form of hfcs (high fructose corn syrup). No nutrition!

AllenF · June 25, 2011, 06:15:28 PM

Yes bees will work corn. They are getting pollen from it just like other grasses. It is all fine.

Danger Brown · June 26, 2011, 03:53:53 AM

I had heard on a podcast that corn might be treated with neonicitinoid pesticides sometimes and that it can create toxic pollen that when fed to a queen may cause her to stop laying viable eggs or when fed to larvae may kill the larvae.

They just planted about 100 acres of corn in front of my house where alfalfa has grown for several years. I'm a little nervous about it.

I think it was one of these podcasts, but can't remember which one. http://www.§¤«£¿æ.com/podcast_page.php

Jim134 · June 26, 2011, 07:44:35 AM

Quote from: Danger Brown on June 26, 2011, 03:53:53 AM
I had heard on a podcast that corn might be treated with neonicitinoid pesticides sometimes and that it can create toxic pollen that when fed to a queen may cause her to stop laying viable eggs or when fed to larvae may kill the larvae.

They just planted about 100 acres of corn in front of my house where alfalfa has grown for several years. I'm a little nervous about it.

I think it was one of these podcasts, but can't remember which one. http://www.§¤«£¿æ.com/podcast_page.php

This link did not work for me .

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

jaseemtp · June 26, 2011, 09:59:09 AM

The corn I planted is an heirloom variety so Im not worried about it having bad stuff in it. If you are concerned about the corn near you, just stop by and talk to the farmer. Let him know you are beekeeper, I have found out that most farmers are very nice folks and more than willing to talk with you about what they are growing and when they are going to treat their fields.
Jason

Danger Brown · June 26, 2011, 01:59:02 PM

sorry about the link. it's at §¤«£¿æ dot com

The guy is in England and calls himself the §¤«£¿æ. He has free plans for top-bar hives and is focused on avoiding medicines and natural comb as opposed to foundation.
It was probably one of the podcasts with "pesticides" in the title. I believe that the podcast I'm referring to was where he was interviewing some expert from America. Sorry I don't remember which one. I had put several episodes on my mp3 player and was listening while building hives in my shop.

I have trouble with his podcast page crashing my browser (Chrome) sometimes.

Anyway, they spent some time talking about corn pollen in one of those episodes and it scared me a bit. I've been hoping to talk to the farmer who owns all the land around me and find out what they're treating the fields with. I'm surrounded by hundreds of acres of alfalfa, and now corn. Should be lots of food for my girls but I worry about things like the cropdusting they just did yesterday.