Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Joelel on July 30, 2009, 09:33:23 pm
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Do bees gather pollen and nectar from pine trees and oak ?
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Pine----no!!! Oak---I don't think so. They may gather pine but of no value. Some say they will gather sawdust if nothing else around.
If they got anything from pine I would be in hog heaven :-D!!!
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Pine----no!!! Oak---I don't think so. They may gather pine but of no value. Some say they will gather sawdust if nothing else around.
If they got anything from pine I would be in hog heaven :-D!!!
I know in the spring the pollen is very heavy on the ground from these trees,I would think they would use it.
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If memory serves me correct, I read they will only use pine pollen if they have nothing else and that it is of poor nutritional value to them. Dont recall Oak.
Why do you ask? I think oak are long gone and saw pollen blowing from pine along time ago. Although there are lots of varieties of Pine.
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Do bees gather pollen and nectar from pine trees and oak ?
There's a Wiki article that may be of use to you if you search "pollen source" which, at this time, I do not have forum rights to post.
I can say from firsthand observation, they do use Red Oak ... but that's in Early May in Wisconsin.
BB
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If memory serves me correct, I read they will only use pine pollen if they have nothing else and that it is of poor nutritional value to them. Dont recall Oak.
Why do you ask? I think oak are long gone and saw pollen blowing from pine along time ago. Although there are lots of varieties of Pine.
Yes,the pollen of pines and oak was in the spring but the national forest is all around us with mostly pines and alot of oaks all around us.
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Oak is a good source of honeydew. That might not be to your liking, though. :roll:
Honeydew=aphid secretions. Supposedly dark, strong flavored honey.
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If pine was of any value, my bees would always bee pollen hyped up :-D! Most all the farm land around has been planted in pine. And I am also near a huge National forest.
Not to mention the ones left in my yard after I had about 20 saw timber size removed (beetles and afraid they may fall on house). My porch house and cars look yellow when the pine has tasseled ;).
It could be a matter of choice to the bees, not to use the pine?
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Yes, I live on the lake a short way from sc-bee, and in the spring, with the scads & scads of pines in the area the pine pollen leaves a thick greenish yellow scum on the surface of the lake. It sure would be nice if the bees liked it.
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The most common thing that bees use from pine trees is propolis. The get propolis from most any evergreen or deciduous tree.
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~Good info Brian ----- never thought of the bees using pine sap.
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I've seen bees visit pine trees for the sap to make propolis. Can't say I've ever seen them visit oaks.
...JP