Monday, October 29, 2012
Pollen In Late October???
I don't know where my girls are getting it from, but both hives were bringing in oodles of pollen today. Click on the photo to enlarge it. Do you see all that golden yellow pollen in their pollen baskets? Someone even dropped their load of pollen onto the top of the cinder block. I have their entrance reduced way down to help them stay warm and to keep out predators. Traffic is getting backed up at the door.
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7 comments:
Wow, they certainly are making lots of honey. I thought they went to sleep this time of year.
Lynne
Yes, I was surprised to see them bringing in so much pollen this late. And if they're finding pollen they are also finding nectar to make honey with. Our weather is still mild, mid 50's to 60's. They will keep bringing in food as long as there is some available and it is warm enough (and dry enough) for them to fly. I just wish I knew what it was they were finding.
Once the weather gets a bit colder they will cluster up in a ball inside the hive and hunker down for the winter. They have already kicked out all the drones (male bees).
That is pretty cool and a lot of pollen. Do you think the homey will taste any different?
Hi Wendy,
While there are small trace amounts of pollen in raw honey (which is why they say honey from your local area is good for treating allergies) pollen is stored in separate cells from the nectar and is not used to produce honey. Pollen is used as a protein source for the bees. The more pollen they have stored, the more brood (baby bees) they can produce.
It is the nectar from plants that is turned into honey. Different plants have different flavored nectar. I will probably never get to taste the nectar they are currently bringing in. They will feed on that honey over the winter. Honey is mainly a bee food. Humans should only take the excess. Which is why I only harvested 2 frames of honey from my hives this year. I wanted to be sure my bees don't starve over the winter months.
Sorry for the ramble. Probably more than you wanted to know. ;-)
Wow, I didn't know that, thanks for taking the time to explain. I'm considering getting some bees in the future are they a lot of work?
They do require some managing and care. And the wooden ware isn't cheap. But they are fascinating. There is a pretty steep learning curve so try to find a mentor. If you have a bee club in your area you should join them. Get books on beekeeping and study them. Bees can be a lot of fun. It's like having a tiny little ranch. They are considered livestock, you know. ;-)
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