Norway spruce

[Scadsobees]

Anybody know what honeybees forage on a Norway Spruce?

I have several very large ones right behind my beehives, and I noticed a buzzing on one of them, and I thought it was a swarm set up camp.  But no, there were hundreds of bees flying all over the tree. They were searching and spending only brief periods of time on each branch, and they were not chewing. 

I thought perhaps propolis, but not only were they NOT chewing, there were other types of bees such as bumbles on it as well collecting something.  They weren't collecting pollen, either.

I didn't notice any aphids.

Any ideas or hypotheses?  I've not heard of spruce secreting anything except resinous sap.

Rick

[Scadsobees]

Duh...search!

http://tinyurl.com/lkrpvm

Interesting, nonetheless....

[Bee Happy]

neat book too

[Brian D. Bray]

Anybody know what honeybees forage on a Norway Spruce?

I have several very large ones right behind my beehives, and I noticed a buzzing on one of them, and I thought it was a swarm set up camp.  But no, there were hundreds of bees flying all over the tree. They were searching and spending only brief periods of time on each branch, and they were not chewing. 

I thought perhaps propolis, but not only were they NOT chewing, there were other types of bees such as bumbles on it as well collecting something.  They weren't collecting pollen, either.

I didn't notice any aphids.

Any ideas or hypotheses?  I've not heard of spruce secreting anything except resinous sap.

Rick

Tree sap is a source for propolis.