[cobirds] RE: honeybees on cracked corn

Leon Bright et al,
Here is a response I got from CSU entomologist extraordinaire, Dr. Whitney Cranshaw, re your question about why honey bees seem to be attracted to cracked corn at your Pueblo bird feeding station:

[Honey bees visiting bird feeders in late winter or very early spring, before anything is blossoming, is something I have heard on several occasions. 

I am pretty sure that on warm days that allow them to fly, they are looking for food - pollen.  (After they have defecated, which is the most important thing to get out of the way when a day arrives that let's them finally leave the hive.)  And in the absence of any pollen they collect pollen-like materials.  The small particles from broken seed/corn at bird feeders is one thing they collect, but I have also heard of honey bees collecting sawdust and even coffee ground from compost piles. 

I doubt they are getting much, if any, nutrition from these non-pollen materials.  But they are hardwired to seek food and go to a Plan B when pollen is not present, even if the result is without benefit.

Whitney ]

I think this answers the question definitively.

Cheers,
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins