On Fri, 15 Mar 1996, Kris A Burton by way of [log in to unmask] Doug Yanega wrote:
 
> >>   Now, to the request for help.  We have three bird feeders (seed) around
> >> our house and have recently had some kind of bees or wasps swarming around
> >> the feeders when it's warm out and cleaning out the feeders.  Usually,
> >> the bird feeders will have seed in them for most of a week, but these bees
> >> have cleaned out a full feeder in one day's time.
 
I've seen this also and I've been told that the bees are collecting it as
an early pollen substitute.
 
I've opened my hives to see if millet is in storage where you would see
pollen normally.
There was a light colored dust there but I couldn't tell if it was millet.
Does anyone one now if they can actually use millet or birdseed as a
protein source.
 
 
John Spaulding          Associate Curator, Wildlife Center
[log in to unmask]        New England Science Center