Honey Bee Pollen Sacs

My “four-story” beehive was popping with activity yesterday. I took a few close-ups at 2 p.m. and got some shots of full pollen sacs–the yellow blobs on the bee’s knees. I will be opening the hive this weekend to see if any of the following applies: there is a new queen, the honey frames are almost full, or the frames are sparse (this would be bad). The bees that collect honey are known as “foragers.” The decline of the honey bee population nationally has been linked, in part, to the shortened life cycle of foragers and that, in turn, is attributable to a long list of “culprits,” including pesticides, viruses and, in some parts of the country, drought.