Spruce's honey bees

fab , looks like a swiss chalet

 

Yesterday I noticed 4 dead Bees on my Ligularia at first I thought they might be having a nap or maybe drugged up on the pollen but they were definitely 'gone'....this will probably sound like a ridiculous question but is there such a thing as 'poisonous' pollen for Bees or is it just their natural life cycle?

 

Hi Loli

Ligularia is a great plant for bees so it wasn't that that killed them so dont feel bad feel good , were they honey bees or bumble ? they could of been caught out by a shower or the sun as gone off the plant and they just didn't have the body heat to take flight and have passed away as the night got colder .

Honey bees live about 31 days if they are lucky in the summer , I should imagine with Bumble bees the new Queens will start to be out and about soon feeding up to put layers of fat on before winter sets in its not that far away to them to get them selves ready for winter.
My queens are starting to slow down with the amount of eggs they are producing each day. Also getting more moody as they have honey to protect , I have noticed a increase in wasps over the past two weeks as well so I may have to make the entrance to the hives smaller so they dont try and sneak in.

Good question


You will be shocked to find out which ones

1. Rhododendron

its nectar is toxic to bees.

2. Azalea

azaleas are also toxic to bees.


3. Trumpet flower, or angel’s trumpet

This one pollen kills the babies in the hive

4. Oleander

Harmful to butterflies as well as bees, oleander has a severe effect on hives. Nectar taken to the hive concentrates as it dries out, which increases the amount of toxins and usually results in a mass hive wipeout.

5. Yellow Jessamine

toxins are said to be as severe as hemlock.


6. Mountain Laurel

Part of the blueberry family

7. Stargazer lily

pollen is poisonous

 

Wow, so much information and activity going on in the bee world Spruce. I'll look out for new Queens then. Are they bigger than normal bees ? Sad to think they may have died of the cold though - in July ?!
HUH !!!
Jenny

 

yes it is sad that they die out working , but thats what they do ...

yes queen bumble bees are bigger so keep a eye out I have lots in the garden this week feeding on my outdoor tomato flowers.

 

Oh My!!! That's amazing I never knew all that about bees. It's so sad to know that so many shrubs and plants are so bad for them, here in the New Forrest you can't turn a corner without seeing another Rhododendron or Azalia!

 

well I would keep away from that honey

 

That's fascinating Spruce, ....the dead Bees were all white tailed Bumble Bees

 

Lovely thread and bees are amazing creatures which have enthralled me for some years now.

 

Fair enough but for two things, one is my site is non commercial and is for information only, and I was/am unable to find a faq on here with that info regarding links so apologies for toe treading.

 

Good evening Poly Hive

I can help you with that one. The information regarding links comes under Rules, Policies and Protocols and specifically #3 which, although the heading is "Spamming" (which you clearly were not in the literal sense ) it does have this proviso:

I'm guessing that might be the reasoning behind the admin team deleting it for the time being before making a final decision.