Pollen source

Bee collecting pollen

Pollen laden bees at hive entrance

Bee on plum tree with pollen

The term pollen source is often used in the context of beekeeping and refers to flowering plants as a source of pollen for bees or other insects. Bees collect pollen as a protein source to raise their brood. For the plant, the pollinizer, this can be an important mechanism for sexual reproduction, as the pollinator distributes its pollen. Few flowering plants self-pollinate; some can provide their own pollen (self fertile), but require a pollinator to move the pollen; others are dependent on cross pollination from a genetically different source of viable pollen, through the activity of pollinators. One of the possible pollinators to assist in cross-pollination are honeybees. The article below is mainly about the pollen source from a beekeeping perspective.

The pollen source in a given area depends on the type of vegetation present and the length of their bloom period. What type of vegetation will grow in an area depends on soil texture, soil pH, soil drainage, daily maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, extreme minimum winter temperature, and growing degree days. The plants listed below are plants that would grow in USDA Hardiness zone 5. A good predictor for when a plant will bloom and produce pollen is a calculation of the growing degree days.

The color of pollen below indicates the color as it appears when the pollen arrives at the beehive. Bees mix dry pollen with nectar and/or honey to compact the pollen in the pollen basket. Dry pollen, is a food source for bees, which contains 16 - 30% protein, 1 - 10% fat, 1 - 7% starch, many vitamins, but little sugar. The protein source needed for rearing one worker bee from larval to adult stage requires approximately 120 to 145 mg of pollen. An average bee colony will collect about 20 to 57 kg (44 to 125 pounds) of pollen a year.^[1][2]

Spring

Trees and shrubs - Spring

Gallery

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  Flying honeybee with red pollen in pollen basket, likely on henbit

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  Bees in April with blue Siberian squill pollen in pollen basket

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  Honeybees in May with red (likely Horse chestnut) pollen in pollen basket

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  Dandelion pollen

Flowers and annual crop plants - Spring

Summer

Trees and shrubs - Summer

Flowers and annual crop plants - Summer

Fall

Trees and shrubs - Fall

Flowers and annual crop plants - Fall

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See also

• Forage (honey bee)
• List of honey plants
• Melliferous flower
• Nectar source

References