Dark cells in honey frame?

Beekeeping - Basics
1

Hello everyone,

We did a check on our new colony and came across these dark colored (uncapped) cells in a frame full of honey. See image:

Screenshot van donkere honingcellen.JPG731Ă—410 64.1 KB

Does anyone know what that is? (The other side of the frame did not have them).

Cheers!

2

Probably pollen stores

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3

I agree with Valli. Your bees have found some very dark pollen that they like! :smile:

4

@CampingLaChassagne Have a look at what is flowering near by you at this time of year - see if you can match the pollen colour to what is flowering near by:-

http://shelby.ca.uky.edu/sites/shelby.ca.uky.edu/files/Pollen_color.pdf

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5

In that pdf all the clovers are listed as brown pollen. That might be my guess.

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6

Thanks a lot for all the replies.

Pollen sounds good! But they must be busy mixing it with nectar, because as you can also see on the image, it is shiny and somewhat liquid-like. I thought they only used honey to cap the pollen-cells?

@Valli - thanks for the PDF, much appreciated! We bought this colony from a beekeeper an hours car drive away from us and transferred it into our hive about a week ago. So, I can’t be sure if the pollen were collected at his location or at ours. The seller-beekeeper had several fruit trees in his yard, maybe including cherry (which also has brown pollen). We also have a couple of cherry trees and lots of clover.

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7

They don’t really “cap” pollen stores, but you are absolutely right, they do mix it with nectar, enzymes and microorganisms to make a substance called “bee bread”. I am not joking, you can Google it if you want to know more! :smile:

8

Yes bee bread is how the bees feed pollen to the larvae

9

http://nordicfoodlab.org/blog/2015/9/4/bee-bread

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Composition of Bee Bread

All information, content and product descriptions are for reference and educational purposes and is not intended to substitute advice given by a pharmacist, physician, or other licensed health-care professional. Information and statements regarding BeePharm Apitherapy products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health condition or disease.

Bee bread is a fermented mixture of bee saliva, plant pollen, and nectar that the worker bees use as food for the larvae and for young bees to produce royal jelly. Bee Bread increases its’ nutritional value due to the fermentation process performed by worker bees.

Beebread is about 20% proteins, 24-34% carbohydrates and 1,5 % of lipids. BeeBread has a large variety of minerals and has high quantities of iron, cobalt, phosphorus, calcium. It is one of the richest natural foods containing selenium . Beebread is also an excellent source of potassium and B-group vitamins. Amino acids, which are predigested for easy assimilation in the ratio that the human body needs, constitute about 15% of the dry substance in beebread. It is a natural nourishing supplement rich in phytohormones, flavonoids, amino acids, minerals and other active biological compounds, with bioavailability at least three times more than regular bee pollen. This complex of vital substances determines the immune stimulating nature of Bee Bread.

Vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, PP, E, D, K, H
Minerals: P, S, CI, K, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Co, Mo, Se, Cr, Ni, Si
Amino Acids: phenylalanine, leucine, valine, isoleucine, arginine, histidine, lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan
Enzymes

pH: 4.3
Lactic acid level: 3.1%
Minerals: 2.43%
Proteins: 22%
Sugars: 35%
Fats: 1.6%

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11

thanks a lot for the additional info, @Valli! :slight_smile:

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