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Author Topic: white pollen  (Read 4068 times)

Offline edenviewgarden

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white pollen
« on: October 28, 2008, 10:00:24 am »
The bees have been bringing in white (or very light colored) pollen like crazy for the last week.  Does anybody know what plant (or plants) it is from in SE FL? 
Those who dance are thought mad by those who do not hear the music.

Offline BjornBee

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Re: white pollen
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2008, 10:03:28 am »
I have no clue as to the color of the pollen, but brazilian peppers is a major fall plant in florida. Could this be it?
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Offline pdmattox

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Re: white pollen
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2008, 10:13:51 am »
I was down there this past weekend and saw it coming in like crazy to. Most of the pollen was white but also seen red,orange and yellow. The Brazillan pepper still has some blooms but most of what I saw had already set the fruit.  Understudy will probally be able to fill us in but he flew to Atlanta today and probaly wont be on untill he is waiting at the airport to come home. but check this out it . http://www.beekeeperspbc.com/calendar/

And here is some more:

Honey Plants of Florida

Major
   Citrus-January to June

   GALLBERRY-Late April-Early June

   Palmetto-Late April to Mid June

   Tupelo-Mid April to Late May (not local…anywhere near)

   Titi- Mid January-Mid April

Brazilian pepper (schinus terebinthifolius) Early Sept - mid Nov; dependable honey crop in FL  - bees won't touch if love bugs on them; range (local); slight peppery taste

Black mangrove; June - mid July; only good honey producer (Jackson's) - slight salty taste - coastal

Cabbage Palm (sabal palmetto)  June - Sept

Chinese Tallow (popcorn) best honey producer (Sapium sebiferum) late May to mid July

Cottons (Gossypium spp.) Mid June - Late Sept., incr cotton production by 25%
-   GRANULATES RAPIDLY, extract immediately after sealed, 3 crops off of Cotton (panhandle)

Minor

Tag Alder (Hazel Alder) Alnus serrulata late Dec - Feb

Punk( Melaleuca quinquenervia) - Fall and Winter after rain - tastes terrible!
Spanish Needle (Bidens alba) Excellent maintenance plant for bees. Blooms all year.

Mustard and turnips (Brassica spp.) plant for bees - blooms all winter long. Excellent nectar and pollen for colony maintenance and build-up. Blooms fall, winter and spring.

-   cannot economically plant crop for bees, but perhaps this is.

Red maple …excellent spring build up plant, blooms Late Nov- mid March

Redbud (Cercis Canadensis) Mid Jan- Mid March (what mom saw)

Dogwood (Cornus florida) - nothing for bees but they do work it. Feb - June

Oaks (Quercus spp.) - lots of pollen and some honey

Pines - lots of pollen. Early spring. Sand pines most valuable to bees as others are not available.

Black gum - Nyssa biflora. Hard to see on a tree; not low - up 20 feet. Early April. - Almost to our area.

Tulip poplar. Liriodendrm tulipifera. Bee can get a full load of nectar from one bloom. April.

Hollies. Ilex spp. Spring. Ornamental hollies excellent honey producers.

Yaupon. Ilex vomitoria. (tea and puke by Indians). Extremely light honey with slight green tint. Blooms early April.

Willows. Salix spp. Excellent build up plant. Late Dec - April.

Mexican Clovers. Pulsey. Richardia spp. Disturbed soil. All year. Fall forage crop.

Clovers. Triflium spp. White dutch - temps need to be 85 in daytime. Spring.  Crimson clover - not as good honey plant, must have clay soil to produce. Alfalfa.

Blackberries. Rubus spp. Excellent. Mid March - late May.

Partridge Pea( Chamaecrista fasciculata) Late May - October. East coast, up north. Covers us.

Gopher apple. Licania Michauxii. Early May- Late June.

Knotweeds (Smartweeds) Polygonum spp.  Bloom April- Late fall (produces in August).

Seagrape. Coccoloba uvifera. Coastal. Slight salty flavor. Mid- April - Mid July. Delicious! Slight grape taste.

Matchweel. Phyla nodiflora.  All year.

Thistles. Cirsium spp. Bloom? Good honey plants.

Wild cherry. Prunus serotina. March- April.

Primrose Willows. Ludwigia spp. (yellow). May- December. Good crop of this sometimes. Beautiful golden, clear color…tastes awful; foul.

St. Johns Wort. Hypericum spp. June- August. 2 varieties in FL. Not health food type!

Sunflowers. Helianthus spp. Years ago all over Everglades on higher ground (now pastures). August - November

Offline edenviewgarden

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Re: white pollen
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2008, 10:26:53 am »
Wow! Thanks for that list.  You guys are great.

Jane
Those who dance are thought mad by those who do not hear the music.

Offline Keith13

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Re: white pollen
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2008, 10:27:04 am »
Probably from chicory flower I have noticed it as well
Check this site out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source

Keith

Offline BEES4U

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Re: white pollen
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2008, 11:06:32 am »

Melaleuca quinquenervia

http://www.floridata.com/ref/M/mela_qui.cfm

This tree has been in bloom over the past few months and some trees now are in full bloom.
Another source of white pollen could be the Queen palm.

Regards,
Ernie
E. B. LUCAS APIARIES
bees4u.com
(Queen Breeder)

Offline edenviewgarden

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Re: white pollen
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2008, 11:16:33 am »
Thanks, you guys.  I wondered if it might be melaleuca and we definately have lots of queen palms used in landscaping all around us.

Jane
Those who dance are thought mad by those who do not hear the music.

Offline 1of6

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Re: white pollen
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2008, 02:39:47 pm »
Probably from chicory flower I have noticed it as well
Check this site out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source

Keith

Hey Keith - This year I noticed that our Chicory bloomed earlier than usual, and it lasted through the end of september in some areas...I've never seen it around for that long of a period in the past.  Some of the aster started a little earlier too.  Our blackberries blooomed before our raspberries did - it seemd like everything was a little off this year.

 

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