All covered in white pollen

[Cindi]

Watching the bees, amazing how the pollen sticks on their thorax.  The pollen has not been gathered in the pollen bags, but stuck on their body instead.  Kind of interesting, I have been seeing this white pollen for a couple of weeks now, along with the orange and other colours too. Enjoy this wonderful day.  Cindi

[CBEE]

Great picture. My bees have been bringing in pollen that is light cream to white in color
along with the normal yellow type for about a month now.

[topbarslo]

I've seen exactly the same scene with my bees today. They were bringing white on their "backs". I wondered what kind of pollen that is !

[Brian D. Bray]

Bees that have the pollen on their backs are not pollen gathers but rather nectar gatherers who obtain the pollen while attempting to access the nectar--it is referred to as dual loading.  Pollen gatherers will carry most of the pollen in the sacks on their legs as well as getting coated with it.  Nectar foragers get the pollen incidentally.
As for the type--it is impossible to determine the plant type solely from the color of pollen.  Too many flowers have the same or similar colored pollens to do anymore that guestimate unless you have a microscope.

[Cindi]

Brian, excellent explanation.  It does make perfect sense too.

The plants that the bees on my property are currently foraging on are (bees like to forage within 200 feet of their hive, trivia):
I am listing these from the closest to the apiary to the front of my house, where they are happy to go too:

Phacelia Tanacetifolia (but this pollen is purple, like the Fireweed pollen)
Borage
Bachelor's Buttons
Sunflowers
Anise Hyssop, Blue Fortune
Anise Hyssop, Anisata
Great Blue Lobelia
Impatiens Capensis
Mignonette (and man are they mad about this flower!!!!) (and it has the most beautiful perfume I have ever smelled)
Blue and pink fall Asters

Now up to my flower gardens in the yard

Nicotianna
Blue Salvia (Victoria species)
Heliotrope, Marine

Other flowers abound in my gardens, but these listed are the ones the bees are highly attracted to.

When I was observing the bees on the Nicotianna, the pollen in the baskets were white, but like Brian said, a myriad of plants produce white pollen.  The flowers are still going strong and beautiful.  We have had the perfect weather this summer for flowers, lots of rain, enough sunshine and not too hot of weather.  Still, I think that vegetables and flowers have been set back by about 2 weeks by the cool summer weather.

A problem has occurred with the Canna lilies that grow amongst my banana grove.  They did not even produce any flowers this year.  Normally they have a beautiful red flower that arises far above the foliage.  I have always grown these and this is the first year they have never set a flower bud.  It has been a strange year for us all, everywhere.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life we live in.  Cindi

[Beebrain]

Cindi

Excellent photographs. Some of my returning bees look exactly the same. How lovely to consider the possibilities of a banana grove. Sadly this is not an option for us here in the UK.

Kind Regards

Neil

[reinbeau]

Cindi, you posted pictures of jewelweed (Impatiens campensis) - that's where the white pollen is coming from.

[Cindi]

Ann, hey that is cool!!!!  I know many of the different names of flowers, some go by so many, but I have heard of jewelweed and never realized what the latin name was, cool!!!!  You have a great knowledge of plant names and I admire that.  Jewelweed, was a pretty name, wonder what kind of jewel someone long ago thought it looked like to call it this.  I can't think of any, can you?  I bet it is where the white pollen is coming from, there is so much of it close to the apiary, not a doubt!!!  Have a wonderful day, beautiful day.  Cindi