New Generation Beekeeping

Pollen is a vital source of food and nutrients, pollination helps maintain the plants for future years

It is felt that a mixture of various pollens is needed to give the bees a complete diet. Some speculate that the use of bees to pollinate large areas of a specific crop, particularly in the USA may be a contributary factor in the cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Watching the bees arriving with the different coloured pollen gathered in the pollen sacs on their back legs is fascinating. Several different colours can be coming in to the hive at the same time, though individual bees only bring one type at a time. When the crocuses were in flower they were bringing a rich yellow one, from the blue crocuses, and a paler yellow one from the other colour crocuses. They were also bringing a pale beige/green which could have been from the hazel which was in full flower at that time. Later in April (2009) they were bringing a greeny beige colour which I think is Laurel. The rich yellow is most certainly Dandelion and the delicate yellow is Oil Seed Rape. I’m always suprised how two hives in the same garden can be bringing different colours of pollen into their respective hives. The bees working the Balsam later in the year look like they have a bad case of dandruf because the back of their bodies gets covered in the pale pollen and they are unable to groom it off without help.

'Pollen is the chief source of all foodstuffs that the bees require except for carbohydrates and water' Clive de Bruyn, Practical Beekeeping A lot of additional information regarding pollen can be found here on the Wikipedia website with specific information about colours and plant varieties here. The National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit publish a calendar showing which pollen when, the main pollens which cause Hay Fever problems are about. In time I will have information here showing pollen colours and their likely plant sources along with pictures of those plants and a link to where they can be purchased.