Ivy Pollen

[Jon]

A few pics of the activity around the nucs earlier this afternoon.
They have been going mad on the ivy for 4 days now.
One of the pics shows a bright orange pollen which has been coming in for several weeks now.
There is also quite a bit of balsam off white pollen still coming in.

1816 1817 1818 1819 1820

[gavin]

Didn't see any yellow pollen going in today - even at our local apiary where there is ivy nearby. White stuff (without the HB white stripe, at that same apiary), some brown, also HB at another apiary on the W edge of Dundee, nowt much happening along the Carse of Gowrie when I got there. Bees are much happier than they were a fortnight ago.

[Jon]

The bee on the left of the 4th photo has the orange pollen. I thought it might be Montbretia but there is far too much of it and the aforementioned has finished now anyway.

[The Drone Ranger]

I like this little chart
Any clues here
http://www.sheffieldbeekeepers.org.uk/tools/pollen-chart/

[Adam]

I've had Ivy for a little over a week now so hives have started to fill up with both pollen and honey. :)
The apiary smells of ivy honey :)

[gavin]

The bee on the left of the 4th photo has the orange pollen. I thought it might be Montbretia but there is far too much of it and the aforementioned has finished now anyway.

We still have ragwort out here - just spotted lots on a coastal walk.

[Ruary]

We still have ragwort out here - . my experience with ragwort is that besides the pollen pellets the bees are also covered in pollen powder especially near the wings. I think it might be furze but Jon says his bees take furze only when there is nothing much better for them to take. I have checked two pollen pellets from the inspection floor within the last week and one was from ivy and the other was furze.

[Jon]

Those pictures were taken from nucs in my garden in suburban Belfast so not really a lot of whin in the area either, although there is some along the railway.
There is a lot near my main apiary 3 miles away which is more rural.
I have seen them working whin in February/March when there is not much else about.

[gavin]

One of the Michaelmas Asters maybe?

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6175/6185865165_a0f0b29313_z.jpg

[Jon]

Colour looks right and there is quite a bit of that about.

[Bumble]

One of the Michaelmas Asters maybe?

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6175/6185865165_a0f0b29313_z.jpg

Thanks for that, Gavin. I'd been wondering what the bright orange pollen might be.