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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
"David L. Green" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 21 Oct 2000 23:42:13 EDT
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In a message dated 10/21/00 2:22:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> I live in central lower Michigan.  I am writing this on October 21.  The
>  hive in my back yard is very active this afternoon bringing in a dark
>  orange colored pollen.  Goldenrod is done, and it is a lighter color
>  than this.  Does anyone have any idea what they are getting it from.

   There are many possibilities. One of the glories of keeping bees is that
you become more alert to the botany/natural history of the area.

   Aster is quite frost resistant, and its pollen is yellow-orange.  Another
possibility is witch-hazel, which will bloom long after frost, though I'm not
sure of the pollen color.

    A friend of mine found hives carrying pollen in mid-winter once, on a
warm day, and found the bees working fresh bouquets at a nearby cemetery.

    Some of the low creeping varieties of the mint family will bloom late in
the fall, and must be quite frost resistant, as they will be blooming again
as soon as snow is off.  Henbit has a deep orange pollen.  Around here (in
SC) I've seen anise hyssop bloom in a warm spell in late fall, and again very
early in spring. Wild mustard will bloom all winter here, but its pollen is
pale yellow.  Alder will bloom in midwinter, though its pollen is likewise
pale. I don't know if it ever blooms in fall.   A warm Indian summer in late
fall can sometimes make apples and pears have a spotty fall bloom.

   If you can spot the bees at the flower, you then have learned something of
use when you see the bees at the hive entrance, as the color of the pollen
will give you clues as to what the bees are working.  I can often tell to the
day, when bees start working a certain flower.

Dave
The Pollination Home Page:  http://pollinator.com

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