Pollen in Late Summer and Early Fall
Mark and I checked in on our bees this past Saturday and
hives 02 and 04 are both doing really well.
Our new queen in hive 02 has been very busy. We saw all stages of brood and we are very
happy with the hives improvement.
Surprisingly, we noticed that the bees have been collecting tons of pollen. Pollen is very important because it is used to feed the growing larva. Once the bees gather it, they place it directly into the honeycomb cells for storage. Nurse bees initially feed the new larva royal jelly (a milky-white secretion from the glands of bees) for a couple of days, then switch to a mixture of pollen and honey for six days, prior to the larvae transforming into pupa. We noticed a lot of pollen in the cells in hive 02:
Doug and Linda's property is so peaceful. The bees were busy gathering pollen from the many varieties of flowers throughout Doug and Linda's property. We decided to take the time to learn more about
the flowering plants surrounding our hives.
Next year, when we harvest honey, we will be able to say that it is wildflower honey
partially made from these late summer/early fall native Texas plants.
Click on the below photos to enlarge for better detail. Hover over the photos to see the common name of the flowering plant. Common names of the first four in sequential order are: blue porterweed, foxglove (aka purple gerardia), goldenrod, and silverleaf nightshade. The last four photos are of woolly croton. Notice the bees collecting pollen in their pollen baskets.
Surprisingly, we noticed that the bees have been collecting tons of pollen. Pollen is very important because it is used to feed the growing larva. Once the bees gather it, they place it directly into the honeycomb cells for storage. Nurse bees initially feed the new larva royal jelly (a milky-white secretion from the glands of bees) for a couple of days, then switch to a mixture of pollen and honey for six days, prior to the larvae transforming into pupa. We noticed a lot of pollen in the cells in hive 02:
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| The bees are storing pollen to use for feeding larva. |
Click on the below photos to enlarge for better detail. Hover over the photos to see the common name of the flowering plant. Common names of the first four in sequential order are: blue porterweed, foxglove (aka purple gerardia), goldenrod, and silverleaf nightshade. The last four photos are of woolly croton. Notice the bees collecting pollen in their pollen baskets.
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