bees like osage too!

[Timo]

They were swarming here today,lots and lots. My daughter got home and noticed them on my junk wood pile. I had dumped my dust bags off the collector and they were on it man! Not sure what they were collecting it for but boy o boy did they like it!

[attachment deleted by admin]

[lowell]

The honey color!!

[HatchA]

Interesting...

How "fresh" was the donor wood that the dust came off?  Could there have been sap moisture in it that might be of use to them?  Then again, perhaps they thought it was Bee Christmas and they'd found a giant pollon supply...

Great picture, Tim.

[Timo]

I actually heard the swarm outside the shop.I went out and noticed that they were everywhere. (hope they hive close to home)..Not sure why they wanted the osage dust.Could just be the color drew them? Do they use wood pulp in their wax comb production? Just not real sure. The dust has been out there for 3 weeks.

[Swamp Bow]

Bet the queen landed on it.  Careful what you wish for.  I've had two different hives take up residence in my shop wall in the last two years.  Not fun when you want to work at night with hundreds of bees pounding on the hanging light fixture a couple of feet over your head.

Swamp

[Pat B]

Tim, they may have been swarming as bees do when the hive divides. The new queen will relocate to start a new hive. Why they are on the osage dust I don't know. Maybe using it as an mite repellent or something like that.

[FlintWalker]

Awful early for bees to be swarming ain't it?   

[lowell]

This got me thinking more and searched the www and found this info that may answer the saw dust atrraction.

 "Pollen is a necessary part of the bee's diet and without it brood rearing would diminish very rapidly and the activation of the bee's hypopharyngeal glands would not occur. Pollen is generally regarded as the source of protein in the bee's diet; however, it not only provides essential proteins but lipids, minerals, and vitamins. Additionally, pollen contains phago-stimulants (Doull, 1974) encouraging the bee to eat it. Some 35 years ago it was observed that bees collect powdery materials such as coal dust, fine earth, saw dust, rotted wood, etc. in times of pollen dearth (Spencer-Booth, 1960). These observations suggested that it should be possible to feed bees with suitable artificial materials to replace the missing natural diet of pollen nb. the collection of tar from the roads when propolis is in short supply."

Huh... maybe there is 2 reasons to like osage dust!!
 
 

[mullet]

 I figured the Queen thought it was a Mother Lode of pollen.

[Alpinbogen]

Several times I've had osage firewood (waste) in the house when the wood wasps decided to come out.  Man, when you pick up a piece and see those suckers starting to climb out, you can't throw the log into the woodstove fast enough! 

[Postman]

They're gonna make tiny bows with osage dust and beeswax

[Lombard]

Who would have thunk it. I wonder if they get something out of the resins?

[billy]

HEy Timo,

I think they use the dust to protect against mites and other parasites.  Osage has a natural insecticide in it, as does juniper cedar, and other woodss.  Dave Cheney wrote an article about Rose City Archery (they make port orford cedar shafts) and in the article he stated that the honeybees would collect the sawdust left over from sanding shafts, and they would coat their bodies with it.  They'd also take it back to the hive to share with everyone, as it would help eliminate mites that could devastate the hive.  Of course I could be wrong, but I won't admit it!!   

[RidgeRunner]

Now that is completely interesting.
I just wonder if some of you guys are not onto someting about the mite retardant.
If it turns out to be true Osage dust just went up in price by about 10,000%.

I have been around bees most of my life and have never heard of anything like this.

David

[Postman]

Wouldn't it  would be cool if osage dust could be sent to apiarists (sp?) for an anti-mite dust. Our bees are OK but I know they're crashing from mites and god knows what else in most places. Supposedly, up to 30% of our food supply is bee dependent.