bee markings

[BJ-Bees]

can anyone help explain the white marks on some of my bees heads.
i have nicknamed them the mohicans.
only abot 20% of the bees in my 2 hives have the marks.
i am assuming its just some sort of natural variation

 

[Swarm]

Your bees have found Himalayan Balsam, it leaves a tell tale stamp on their backs.

 

[Karsal]

Your bees have found Himalayan Balsam, it leaves a tell tale stamp on their backs.

 

[BJ-Bees]

thanks
you learn something new every day

 

[wendyt]

Mine come in with white on their backs, I call them the 'ghost' bees... we are surrounded by HB.

 

[Michael Palmer]

We have a plant very similar to HB. Jewelweed. Similar flower, same stripe on thorax.

 

[Swarm]

We have a plant very similar to HB. Jewelweed. Similar flower, same stripe on thorax.

Do you have a pic Michael? I had a wildflower seed mix for scattering about, one plant came that was very similar to HB.

 

[Michael Palmer]

I do have some, but I've lost my ability to attach photos because Photobucket won't allow third party transfer...without a $400 payment. I'll get another host eventually.

 

[Goran]

Sometimes can be sawn bees carry full load of pollen on their back, easy to spot when is yellow toadflax in flower. I observed when they pack the pollen on their backs - as pollen backpack.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Do you have a pic Michael? I had a wildflower seed mix for scattering about, one plant came that was very similar to HB.

We have two species of Jewelweed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_capensis


http://florafinder.com/Species/Impatiens_pallida.php

 

[B+.]

We have two species of Jewelweed.

Interestingly, they all seem to prefer moist areas with flowing water.

 

[Millet]

We have two species of Jewelweed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_capensis


http://florafinder.com/Species/Impatiens_pallida.php

Them links are very similar to Himalayan Balsam if not in the same family.

 

[B+.]

Them links are very similar to Himalayan Balsam if not in the same family.

They are the same family. HB is Impatiens glandulifera

 

[Millet]

They are the same family. HB is Impatiens glandulifera

I did not bother looking for the Latin name i was just going by how similar the flowers looked but with a obvious different colour.

 

[bontbee]

Interestingly, they all seem to prefer moist areas with flowing water.

Here it grows everywhere, even surviving among bracken on the hills! Now I know Wales is wet, but even here the water doesn't flow all the time...

 

[fred scuttle]

Absolutely HB 100%

 

[Heather]

My bees are coming in looking like this years queens. A solid round yellow dot centre thorax. Maybe pumpkin??

 

[Jambo]

My bees are coming in looking like this years queens. A solid round yellow dot centre thorax. Maybe pumpkin??

I've got the same and was wondering the source - now that you say pumpkin then I'm thinking it could be my courgettes, basically the same flower I think!

 

[Goran]

My bees are coming in looking like this years queens. A solid round yellow dot centre thorax. Maybe pumpkin??

Linaria vulgaris - yellow toadflax at my place.