Two tone bees

[GRIZZLY]

Thanks Gavin,the photos give me a good explanation of what goes on.Still haven't found the source but must be a good patch judging by the great number of coated bees.

[Jon]

Thanks Gavin,the photos give me a good explanation of what goes on.Still haven't found the source but must be a good patch judging by the great number of coated bees.

I just came across this great little searchable plant database.
This is the entry for Balsam.

http://www.habitas.org.uk/flora/species.asp?item=3189

[GRIZZLY]

Great site Jon,Pity it doesn't extend about 30 miles eastward to include the Rhins just across the water from you in Scotland.

[gavin]

If folk are interested in distribution maps of any UK plant or animal you can do no better than this site:

http://data.nbn.org.uk/

For example the UK distribution of Impatiens glandulifera (which seems to have changed from Himalayan to Indian balsam)

http://data.nbn.org.uk/gridMap/gridM...NSYS0000003189

[Stromnessbees]

There was a demonstration on how to check the distance indicated by the waggle dance on Countryfile last Sunday:

see iplayer, scroll to 17:25
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...le_15_08_2010/

What annoyed me a bit was the fact that they made out that this was brand new research by Prof. Ratneik, when actually it was all discovered a long time ago by fellow Austrian Karl von Frisch:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_von_Frisch

Still, the message to look after the bees and the wildflowers was allright.

Doris

[GRIZZLY]

I guess that the bees must have a "wash and brushup"dept working in the hive.The bees enter completely covered with pollen but leave again all spruced up.I guess the bees must groom each other pretty frequently inside the hive.The balsam must still be yielding heavily judging by the numbers of coated bees.My black bees don't seem to have found it yet tho' although they are also pouring in and out of the hive so must have some other forage crop.

[gavin]

of course what you ought to do is go and look at the waggle dance and get a bearing and distance and there is will be!!!! ( or not_

Well, I've done just that. You can read about it in my blog.