Posted on: Monday, August 9, 2004
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HAWAI'I'S ENVIRONMENT
Bees may have left that speck on the car
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Columnist
Q. I was wondering if you knew what the yellow drops on cars are. I notice I get them at work a lot because the parking lot is near a mountainside and there's lots of flowers, etc. I notice them when I park outdoors; if I park under a roof in my garage, I don't seem to get them.
When the weather is warm, like it has been for a while, there's more specks. I could have sworn that a long time ago there was a question in the newspaper concerning this and the response was that it was bee pollen.
I think the article said that as bees collect the pollen, they sometimes carry a large load, then drop some of it as they fly. It's the drops that get on the car when you're parked and if you scrape it off, it sometimes leaves a yellow stain on your car. Thanks for your help.
— Sandy Imai, Pearl City A. Without a careful inspection by an expert, it can be difficult to determine the origin of a tiny yellow spot. It might be sap from an overhanging tree, or a clump of pollen from a flower, but it might also be a speck from an insect.
State Department of Agriculture insect expert Mohsen Ramadan said spiraling whiteflies can leave spots on cars, but they tend to be white spots. Other insects can leave spots of various colors.
But yellow spots, looking a little bit like tiny drops of mustard, can be from bees, according to several local experts on the subject.
Michael Kliks, president of the Hawai'i Beekeepers' Association, said the substance might come from either end of the bee.
"It could be regurgitate, or, when bees are stressed, such as on a very hot day, they will defecate a yellowish substance," Kliks said. The regurgitated material tends to be waxy and pollen-filled, while bee poop can be more water-soluble, he said.
Both bee poop and bee regurgitate can be acidic, and may stain a car's paint job, he said.
Bees don't defecate in their hives unless they are diseased or something else is wrong. They take what beekeepers call "cleansing flights," during which they relieve themselves. In cold climates during winter, the animals may only leave the nest every few weeks to take care of business.
A source of information about bees in Hawai'i is www.hawaiibeekeepers.org. If you have a question or concern about the Hawaiian environment, drop a note to Jan TenBruggencate at P.O. Box 524, Lihu'e, HI 96766, e-mail jant@honoluluadvertiser.com or call (808) 245-3074.
