The one type of flower theory

[Jerrymac]

It was said that the whole hive goes after only one kind of flower at a time. I really can't see this as being the way it is. I was just out at the hives and watched bees bringing in a greenish pollen, orange, yellow, and almost white pollens. (and some with no noticable amounts if any)  Now wouldn't one spiecies of flower have one color of pollen?

Let us take this a step further. If the whole hive goes after what is the preference of the day, That being the best of the available, wouldn't it stand to reason that the whole hive would drop the foraging bit and go after honey that is placed in front of the hives? But also this morning as I sat and watched those bees mentioned above bringing in pollen, I was also watching the bees clean up a bunch of dishes that had honey on them from extracting some from another colony I had captures last Saturday.

So in conclussion I will have to stand by what I said before in another post. Group one goes after source "A". Group two goes after source "B". So forth and so on.

[Tobikiri]

I have never heard that the entire hive only goes after one flower.
What I have heard, is that once an individual bee goes out foraging and finds a source, she will only work that type of flower before returning to the hive. In other words, she will only visit one type of flower on each foraging flight, she will not visit a clover, and then move over to a dandelion. She'd visit only clovers on that flight.

But as for the hive as a whole? I wouldn't think the entire hive would stick with one flower only. Because as you said, the different colored pollens coming in sort of rule out that theory.   As a kid, I wondered how honey could be labelled as 100% pure clover(or other flower source). I couldn't believe that no other flowers were visited at all! I wondered if beekeepers locked their bees in a greenhouse with only clover!  :lol:

[Jerrymac]

Just now before I came into the house I stopped by where I had planted a bunch of different wild flowers. I finally saw a bee on one of my flowers.

Now get this. She was on a sort of pinkish purple flower working diligently. Then she lifted off and alighted on another flower for a second or two. This other flower was maybe six inches from the first flower. BUT, it was white.

The two flowers appear to be the same in every way exept the color of the petals. And as I said she was only on the second one a very short time.

Also I know the whole hive can't be after these flowers because there are very few around. Probably only the ones I planted.

[bassman1977]

To add to that last comment...I've have noticed similar activity with bees working clover.  The bee would be working hard on one flower, buzz two inches to another one and without thinking twice about the flower she just landed on...moves to another one.  In instances like that, I wonder if it's because of low nectar/pollen sources at a particular flower.  Could be what you were witnessing with your flowers, Jerrymac.  Somebody should ask the bees...I bet they'd know. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! :D