Hello Paul & All,
Paul said:
but my understanding is
> the corn plants shed pollen for only 1 week during
> the growing season, hence I would guess the pollen
> would be  available to the bees for only 1 week?

If the pollen was only available to the bees for a week perhaps the bees
would have a chance but bees collect even the pollen dust from corn. Even
from the field after combined.

Every spring I get calls from farmers complaining about the bees in their
bins and in feeders after the pollen.

One chicken farmer called very year until I explained the bees needed the
pollen from his corn to feed starving baby bees. I should have got an 
academy award for my performance! He called back and said his
wife had put some whole corn with pollen out in a tray for the bees!

When farmers auger corn from bins the pollen dust fall to the ground. When I
removed corn from my livestock feed bin the dust falls to the ground below
the slide. In early spring or late fall you can see the bees picking up the
pollen under the slide.

I used to keep chickens around years ago and each spring when pollen was
unavailable the bees would get into the chicken grain feeders. The chickens
didn't mind as the chickens stood and ate the bees.
The reality is in my opinion that bees only look at corn pollen when better
sources are not available. We had heaps of corn pollen brought in in the
drought years of 2005 & 2006.

This year we have had a steady flow of both nectar and pollen. I had two
hives fall over the last two days ( need I say why?) and when I set back up
even the bottom super was full of honey which tells me that the bees have
not needed the honey stored about the excluder. I could see the arches
around the brood full of honey. In some years the bottom super has an arch
of empty comb as the bees pulled the honey down to feed the brood. We call
the scenario "the bees are going backwards".

When the "bees are going backwards" you can lose a couple supers of honey in
a short period. Also a pain extracting the boxes with empty arches.

Commercial solution to "bees going backwards"
Pull supers and extract as soon as the situation is seen and then feed the
bees syrup. A large hive can starve fast in the situation so if I pull
supers under the " bees going backwards " scenario I feed later in the day
about dark to prevent robbing.

Honey 1.50 lb. and syrup  .20 a lb.

bob

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