If you look closely you will see that the bees are collecting dust from the
crushed seeds just as they collect pollen. This behavior is very common in
the early spring when pollen sources are scarce. Honeybees have been
observed to collect coal dust and chick pea flour and in the tropics I've
seen them collect yucca flour which very high in starch and low in protein.
 
 
 
>>[This has been forwarded from sci.bio.entomology.misc, as it certainly
>>strikes *me* as a novel honeybee behavior - replies should be directed to
>>Kris Burton]
>>
>>In article <[log in to unmask]>,
>>John Blackmer  <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>Kris A Burton wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi all!
>>>>
>>[deleted stuff]
>>>>
>>>>   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 haven't been home
>>>> when the bees have been active, so I don't know what kind they are.
>>>> Anybody know what kind of bee/wasp will raid bird feeders?  I don't know
>>>> if they bees are eating the seed or not.  I suppose they could be using
>>>> the seed to build their nest.  Also, what can I do to keep the bees away?
>>>> The birds stay away as long as there are a number of bees around.
>>>>
There is a simple solution - remove all dust from the seeds before you
place them in the feeder. This problem will end as soon as pollen becomes
available.
>>>
>>>
>>>John
>>
>>  I was finally able to get home before the bees left for the day and was
>>able to identify them -- they're honeybees.  I observed a few of them for
>>a few minutes.  A bee would would around in the bird seed looking for
>>some seed to take with it.  Once it found the seed, it put it's head down
>>and tried to push it back into its middle and/or rear legs.  However, it
>>had great difficulty doing so (because the seeds were slippery?) and
>>resembled a dog digging a hole.  After it was able to grab the seed, it
>>flew off, but I couldn't track it very far into the woods.
 
 
Please look again. Bees are not adapted to carrying objects such as seeds.
The digging behavior is "pollen" collecting.
 
 
 
Monarch Watch
EMAIL:  [log in to unmask]
URL:  http://monarch.bio.ukans.edu
DPLEX-L:  send message "info DPLEX-L" to [log in to unmask]
PHONE:  (913) 864 4051
FAX:  (913) 864 5321
SNAIL:  c/o O.R. Taylor, Dept. of Entomology, Univ. of KS, Lawrence KS 66045