Author Topic: Do bees like ...... (Read 4551 times)

flossy · « **on:** June 18, 2009, 18:12:24 »

Do bees favour blue when looking for pollen ?

They certainly like to hang around my compost bags [ very blue ] and favour my blue work bench.

Also had masses of them on my lavender last year, and they used to give us big agro when

we had blue based sun loungers covers . !

-- think I might hang some blue discs on my runners ?

floss xxx

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2009, 19:41:37 »

I've never heard that they're attracted by blue, but they like dirty water. Is there any of that on the bags?

saddad · « **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2009, 20:01:30 »

Bees do register at the blue/ultra vioet end of the spectrum... they are red-blind. :-\

Digeroo · « **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2009, 20:02:34 »

Runner beans have got it all wrong then.

saddad · « **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2009, 20:03:57 »

No, just because we see the red doesn't mean they aren't attractive in the ultra-violet spectrum... :-X

Digeroo · « **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2009, 20:16:12 »

Still there are lots and lots and lots of bees on the Phacelia and none on the beans. Somehow need to persuade the bees to go for the beans. I once caught a bee and shut it up for an hour with a bean flower to see if I could fix it on beans.

They also seem to be interested in the courgettes.

flossy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 18, 2009, 20:23:24 »

This is interesting and thanks for the input , some time ago I watched a programme where

they put differant coloured papers on a plate -- like a flower ?

Can't remember what the result preference was -- doh ! Do know that birds see a

different colour spectrum to us and that is how they find food --- is it in ultra violet ?

After all the rain don't reckon it's dirty water RB, but a point there .

floss xxx

saddad · « **Reply #7 on:** June 18, 2009, 20:25:49 »

Don't know about birds... was setting Q's for a quiz on another gardening forum and di a round on bees... looked them up on the internet... :-*

flossy · « **Reply #8 on:** June 18, 2009, 20:32:11 »

Thanks saddad, do use the internet but would rather get the expert info from

A4A peeps like you, ;D

That must have been something, compiling a Quiz on bees ! Can you pose a few

Questions our way ?

floss xxx

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #9 on:** June 18, 2009, 22:14:00 »

Quote from: Digeroo on June 18, 2009, 20:16:12

Still there are lots and lots and lots of bees on the Phacelia and none on the beans. Somehow need to persuade the bees to go for the beans. I once caught a bee and shut it up for an hour with a bean flower to see if I could fix it on beans.

They also seem to be interested in the courgettes.

Phacelia will attract honeybeesbees from a long distance because it's a fabulous nectar source. They're not interested in runners since they can't reach the nectar, and there's no pollen for them either. Bumblebees pollinate these as they have longer tongues.

Toadspawn · « **Reply #10 on:** June 18, 2009, 23:15:47 »

As far as I am aware bees do not see colours in the way we see them but differences are registered on the UV spectrum. They are attracted to flowers if there is a good supply of nectar and pollen. Honey bees tend to work one type of flower until the nectar and pollen cease to be produced whereas bumble bees are indiscriminate feeders and visit numerous flowers. Honey bees are light in weight, have short tongues and are only able to get pollen and nectar from smaller flowers and those with short corolla tubes and open flowers. Bumble bees are heavier and can open the closed flowers of for example legumes (beans). There are also short and long tongued types of bumblebees which are thus able to work different flowers.

honeybee · « **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2009, 20:33:49 »

We have recently just come back from Kefalonia, Greece and there, all of the bee hives are either blue or yellow, when I asked why they were those colours I was told that they believed that bees can only recognise those two colours.
I am not sure there is much truth in that, but it was interesting to hear the Greeks beliefs all the same.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2009, 13:05:45 »

Varying the appearance in a way the bees can see does make sense. It makes it easier for the bees to recognise their own hive, otherwise you find that they tend to drift towards the end hive in a row.

thifasmom · « **Reply #13 on:** June 21, 2009, 10:19:13 »

Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on June 20, 2009, 13:05:45

Varying the appearance in a way the bees can see does make sense. It makes it easier for the bees to recognise their own hive, otherwise you find that they tend to drift towards the end hive in a row.

really, why? ???

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #14 on:** June 21, 2009, 16:42:45 »

They sometimes seem to head for the nearest hive as they approach. I don't think any research has ever been done, but it's well known behaviour, and varying the appearance of hives is one way to minimise it.

thifasmom · « **Reply #15 on:** June 21, 2009, 22:39:49 »

hmm thanks. you really learn something new every day :).

Kea · « **Reply #16 on:** June 22, 2009, 13:21:03 »

Quote from: saddad on June 18, 2009, 20:03:57

No, just because we see the red doesn't mean they aren't attractive in the ultra-violet spectrum... :-X

Yes Saddad is correct, we studied this in plant physiology, ground up flowers extracting pigments and testing the light spectrum's.

Digeroo · « **Reply #17 on:** June 22, 2009, 14:29:27 »

Quote

Phacelia will attract honeybeesbees

My phacelia is covered in bumble bees, no sign of any honey bees. I think we need to pursuade someone to take up bee keeping.

Have been reading a bit more about runner beans, get the thought that the red is to attract humming birds. Unfortunately there do not seem to be many around.

saddad · « **Reply #18 on:** June 22, 2009, 22:12:13 »

Well Runners are from the rainforest "tropics"... :-\

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Author Topic: Do bees like ...... (Read 4551 times)