# White powder substance on back of bees



## jjapple (Sep 6, 2009)

I have a split that I made three weeks ago. Starting out fine. Queen is laying eggs, first round of brood hatching out. Things look slow but ok.
But on about 10% of the bees is what looks like some white dusting or spots on their backs. Some of them it looks a bit like a patch. I've been keeping 10 +/- colonies for many years and I have never seen this. No dead bees, no other indicators of any problems.
Any one seen this before!?
Thank you.


----------



## Ron B. (May 11, 2009)

Have you looked at all the frames to see if something could be rubbing off on the bees inside the hive?


----------



## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Post a pic, sounds like a newly hatched bee or one that is covered in pollen.


----------



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

when they work alfalfa part of the flower hits them just behind the head leaving a white mark. after a while they learn to come in from the side. usually they are kind of mean working it. with all the rain this year there is a better chance of it reaching bloom stage. that's all I can think of. If you pick a alfalfa blossom and stick a grass stem in it you can see how it works. kind of neat.


----------



## jjapple (Sep 6, 2009)

Ron B. said:


> Have you looked at all the frames to see if something could be rubbing off on the bees inside the hive?


I don't think there is anything in the hive that would do that but I will have a look around.


----------



## jjapple (Sep 6, 2009)

burns375 said:


> Post a pic, sounds like a newly hatched bee or one that is covered in pollen.


Maybe pollen but not newly hatched bees, too stark white.


----------



## jjapple (Sep 6, 2009)

beeware10 said:


> when they work alfalfa part of the flower hits them just behind the head leaving a white mark. after a while they learn to come in from the side. usually they are kind of mean working it. with all the rain this year there is a better chance of it reaching bloom stage. that's all I can think of. If you pick a alfalfa blossom and stick a grass stem in it you can see how it works. kind of neat.


Now THIS is really interesting. I do not know of alfalfa near here but it is quite possible. I'll have a look. The white substance is VERY stark white.


----------



## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Have two hives in 22 acres of alfalfa and yes they get some white dust on the bees. They just mowed on the 3rd so maybe it will bloom some more and get a second crop. Make that 3 hives. We split one on the 3rd while the farmer was mowing. Alfalfa field is a good spot to be. Two packages started with 3 and 4 drawn combs in two separate deeps blew up to twenty frames each and needing more in a bit less than 8 weeks.


----------

