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Author Topic: what pollen still in northern vt?  (Read 5322 times)

Offline windfall

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what pollen still in northern vt?
« on: November 27, 2011, 08:14:01 pm »
It is almost the end of november and one of my nucs is still bringing in pale yellow pollen today. What are they finding? The fields are dead and brown. we have seen many nights in the low teens and some snow.

They have been doing this every warm up for the last month, None of the others are at all. Can I interpret that somehow (extended brood rearing?) or does it just signify that they found a source somewhere that the others have not (seems less likely)?

Offline tefer2

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2011, 09:44:51 pm »
I have a few hives that are bringing in pale pollen also. We have had hard frost and light snow here already but I counted 15 dandelions behind the barn.
I can top that with the 3 fat drones I saw today walking into an entrance.

Offline windfall

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2011, 10:09:55 pm »
A few weeks ago we had some...very few really.... fall dandelions, and at the time I figured that was what it was. They are long gone now within 15 miles.

Offline tefer2

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2011, 11:05:32 pm »
May be a few asters hidden under some cover. Thats the pollen color I get from asters around these parts.

Offline AllenF

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2011, 11:14:46 pm »
I saw some new goldenrods blooming out in the woods this weekend down here in Georgia.    They may also be robbing/ cleaning out some dead hives somewhere also. 

Offline BoBn

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2011, 03:28:03 pm »
I have seen a lot of pollen being brought in also.   Here the fields are all brown under 6" of snow.  I'm guessing it is witch hazel pollen. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamamelis_virginiana
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Offline wadehump

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2012, 01:17:09 pm »
11/30/2012 temp 60 sunny bees bringing some pollen in.

Offline splitrock

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2012, 05:20:32 pm »
They could be bringing in dust from bird feeders, or grain dust of one sort or another.

I often caught my bees at the trough I fed cracked corn to the beefs I was fattening last winter. They were loading up on the corn dust. Saw them at the bird feeder too on occasion.

Joel

Offline Jim134

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2012, 09:05:31 pm »
They could be bringing in dust from bird feeders, or grain dust of one sort or another.

I often caught my bees at the trough I fed cracked corn to the beefs I was fattening last winter. They were loading up on the corn dust. Saw them at the bird feeder too on occasion.

Joel


And you can see the same thing in the spring and I have seen bees bring in wood saw dust all so.          

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Offline wadehump

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2012, 10:18:28 am »
Not dust the real deal still a few dandylions along the south facing side of sheds

Offline BeeManiac

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2012, 05:53:31 pm »
Bees also work peoples bird feeders. They will get pollen off of the harvested seeds. Its a pale tanish color

Offline CapnChkn

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2012, 12:47:33 am »
I watched them bring in a bright orange pollen all last winter around here.  Any day they can fly.  I have no idea what's producing it, or where they get it.  Right now I see an occasional Dandelion, the last one in noticed went to seed in a week.
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Offline T Beek

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2012, 10:19:41 am »
Dust of some type would also be my guess for VT right now.

When no pollen is available they will bring home the most disgusting stuff if temps allow for flying. 

I've seen them rolling around in 'used cat litter' and then bring it home, most likely attracted to the minerals in the urine.
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Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #13 on: December 03, 2012, 12:25:38 pm »
Last winter my OB hive brought in black dust and packed it into the cells. I suspect it was coal dust from the power plant across the river. They never used it and I cleaned out those frames in the spring.
Jim
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Offline wouldliketobee

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #14 on: December 05, 2012, 10:41:33 pm »
Here in Southeast ,Iowa  I noticed dandylions blooming yesterday, also saw bees in the timber on the leaves on the ground  I assume collecting something,we have had highs in the 60's and 70's  the past couple of days.

Offline skatesailor

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #15 on: December 09, 2012, 10:04:10 am »
The witch hazel is in bloom here. Not alot but in the protected areas it shows yellow flowers.

Offline wadehump

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #16 on: December 09, 2012, 11:01:52 am »
still seeing dandys blooming in some lawns if it would stop raining the bees could work it mid 60,s

Offline RHBee

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Re: what pollen still in northern vt?
« Reply #17 on: December 10, 2012, 12:36:33 pm »
First year guy here. Is this a normal winter? Or, is this a repeat of last years "no winter" winter. I didn't have bees therefore I don't know how they were affected. My bees are bringing in pollen pretty heavily.
Later,
Ray