# Upstate New York pollen coming in??????



## garlorco (Jun 25, 2019)

So checking on the hive in the backyard today. Sunshine and temps in the 60's. I put out some pollen substitute which the bees are ignoring and they are bringing in whitish/grey pollen from something but can't figure out where. No Maple or pussy willow out yet and no skunk cabbage out either. Any thoughts from you Northerners? 
Interestingly enough, I have two hives about ten miles away that are taking the pollen substitute like crazy, go figure.
:s


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Any poplar(aspen) yet?


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## garlorco (Jun 25, 2019)

Poplar not out yet either. Had to check. This is driving me crazy........


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Alder (Tag Alder) is one of the early ones up here.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

elm


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## garlorco (Jun 25, 2019)

Looks like it could be Alder or Juniper but will need to check.
Thanks Gang


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## Mike B1 (May 8, 2013)

Last week was the first time this year I noticed them collecting pollen. I don't see anything in bloom but apparently they do. One of my girls took one for the team to satisfy my curiosity, my wife doesn't agree though. Did yours look something like this? It is more whitish creamy looking than in this picture. I had to give her some starter fluid to keep still


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## garlorco (Jun 25, 2019)

Yes, white/grey/yellow. Very pale. Wish I could analyze. How do they find it????


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

garlorco said:


> Yes, white/grey/yellow. Very pale. Wish I could analyze. How do they find it????


a million years in the design phase results in mysteries for all.


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## MJC417 (Jul 26, 2008)

garlorco said:


> Yes, white/grey/yellow. Very pale. Wish I could analyze. How do they find it????


Any farms nearby with open corn bins or feeders? Local bird feeders are also on the menu early in the year.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

https://www.metrobeekeepers.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/PollenColorChart-Sheet1.pdf


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

Running into the same here, just today noticed a few bees with grey pollen. No idea what, this early in the year. N Illinois. Early year so far after not much of a winter. A very nice change from last year!


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

We have a large yellow birch tree that the bees work quite a bit for pollen. Not ready here yet.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

my girls were packing it in on Monday when it was in the 60s in Skaneateles. I also havent seen anything even budding out where im at yet. They are finding it in bunches somewhere


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## Beepah (Apr 13, 2018)

Same here in western MA. 
I'm thinking it is witch hazel. I saw some budding on 20Feb.


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## Amibusiness (Oct 3, 2016)

We have skunk cabbage, silver and red maples, willows coming in (a bit south of Albany NY). Probably others but I can't tell pollen apart. We have had witch hazel blooming (since Jan?) but I don't often see it coming in. My guess from your color is red maple or elm. I am under the impression that elm here blooms after red maple. It could bloom earlier but I have not seen it.... Check warm and wet areas, they often bloom first. There are "always" microclimates the bees find when spring still looks a long way off in my yard....


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

COAL REAPER said:


> elm


We don’t have elms up here anymore, I believe Dutch Elm disease took most of them out.


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

Cloverdale said:


> We don’t have elms up here anymore, I believe Dutch Elm disease took most of them out.


They still occasionally sprout and grow a little before dying here. Pollen, probably not that big.


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

I haven’t seen pollen yet, but should very soon. They are still taking the Ultra Bee.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Cloverdale said:


> We don’t have elms up here anymore, I believe Dutch Elm disease took most of them out.





> Thanks to the plant cloning work of tree geneticist, Alden Townsend, the prognosis for Ulmus americana is now good. In the late 1990s, approximately 25 years of work with U. americana came to fruition when the announcement was made that Townsend had succeeded with two new strains: American elm tree clones resistant to Dutch elm disease became a reality.
> Named U. americana "Valley Forge" and U. americana "New Harmony," Townsend's clones are now on the market. The plant cloning work of tree geneticists continues in hopes of developing new American elms that will be even more resistant to Dutch elm disease.


Potential for an elm comeback?

Bees here have stopped the dry pollen sub but are still doing a number on the Ultrabee patties in the hives. The 1# patties I put in the hives on March 1st were all but gone yesterday when I checked. And there is no shortage of fresh pollen coming in. Saw a lot of comb packed with pollen (and brood!)


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

JWPalmer said:


> Potential for an elm comeback?
> 
> Bees here have stopped the dry pollen sub but are still doing a number on the Ultrabee patties in the hives. The 1# patties I put in the hives on March 1st were all but gone yesterday when I checked. And there is no shortage of fresh pollen coming in. Saw a lot of comb packed with pollen (and brood!)


Maybe my grandkids can enjoy the elm comeback  Good news on your bee’s, I missed the great day on Monday to take a look (had a meniscus repair) but hopefully tomorrow I can get in there.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

the last three yards I went in to treat for mites, the queens are laying drone brood between the boxes, really to early for that. My hives went into winter extremely heavy, they are the lightest coming out of winter ever, two 3 deep hives were panicking, took them apart and there was not an ounce of honey in them, moving honey in a light rain is always fun.


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## bobo (Feb 15, 2015)

Pollen is being collected by a colony in Springfield, Mass owned by a friend, first year beek, whom I try to mentor. Very early. Light green. Probably pussy willows.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

i have several pussy willows that we put in last year and they are starting to open now.


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## gatsby174 (Jun 2, 2014)

Western NY here. Second day hitting 50 degrees and both saw the girls packing pollen away. Looks like soft maples have popped.  But it's hard to say what they're bringing in around me, since I'm surrounded by miles of forest and swamp.


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## Amibusiness (Oct 3, 2016)

Gatsby, Soft maple = red maple = swamp maple. Do you have gray pollen coming in?


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## hockeyfan_019 (Dec 1, 2019)

Here in SE Michigan 6a I see lots of pollen coming in, but looks like only silver maple are flowering so far


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## Clayton Huestis (Jan 6, 2013)

I'll check again tomorrow. But nothing here yet.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

First pollen today near Lake Champlain. Three colors. Populous tremuloides for sure. A white I don't know. A pale yellow that might be silver maple. First pollen last year...April 20. 420


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## Clayton Huestis (Jan 6, 2013)

I'll still check tomorrow but I should have pollen in a week here. I'm up in the mountain-y area. Getting excited now. But I don't trust spring to really be here till April 20.


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## K Wieland (Sep 15, 2011)

We also saw lots of grey and yellow pollen coming in. interesting enough, one hive was bringing in mostly Greg pollen, the other the yellow. We thought the grey was from maple (but I don’t see any blooming) and the yellow from coltsfoot. We saw the coltsfoot blooming.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

anyone seeing nectar in their hives?


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## Saltybee (Feb 9, 2012)

First Popple pollen today. And the forecast looks like they may get more.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

Looked today again. Some hives are getting pretty light. Had to swap some honey frames around.
They are all bringing in nectar and pollen though so should be ok .


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