Melissopalynology of honey from Ponteland, UK, shows the role of Brassica napus in supporting honey production in a suburban to rural setting

Abstract

Whether honeybees utilize oilseed rape, and thus come into contact with 10 neonicotinoid pesticides, has been questioned in the UK. Here we report the 11 melissopalynology of honey samples taken from hives in the northeast of the UK 12 from 2014-2015. The results show that Brassica pollen is predominant in honey 13 extractions from June, following the mass bloom of oilseed rape. Honey extractions 14 from July and September show more diverse sources of nectar from entomophilous 15 crops, weeds and garden plants. Our results clearly show that honeybees will 16 extensively utilise oilseed rape mass blooms in Spring and any change in the current 17European Union moratorium on neonicotinoids should be carefully considered. We 18 also confirm the importance of gardens (when planted with "bee friendly flowers") in 19 sustaining pollinators within suburban to rural environments. 20 21

Determining if honey bees (Apis mellifera) collect pollen from anemophilous plants in the UK

“…Given the quantity of Pinus pollen in the atmosphere it is not surprising that this could be the source of contamination (Kluska et al 2020; Sicard et al 2021). Pollen of Pinus has been commonly reported in small percentages in samples from wide range of bee features and products: rectums, honey, pellets and propolis (Warakomska and Maciejewicz 1992; Coffey and Breen 1997; Dimou and Thrasyvoulou 2009; Pound et al 2018; Radaeski and Bauermann 2021). It is not always present in Pine honey, which is a honeydew type honey (Tsigouri et al 2004).…”

Melissopalynological determination of the Pollen density, Botanical origin and Ogiek Honey types in Eastern Mau Forest, Kenya

“…obserevd in our studies were in bloom for a long period indicating that species related to this pollen type flower throughout much of the year. Such predominat pollen typescould flower with different intensities at different months and their presence also affected by diversity of nectar sources (Mathew et al, 2018). The Secondary pollen types: Erythrina sp., Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Citrus sp., Callistemon citrinus, Psidium guajava, Acacia sp., Terminalia sp., Moringa oleifera, Important minor pollen: Mangifera indica, Eryhthrina sp., Ipomoea sp., Zizyphus sp., Hibiscus sp., and members of Cucurbitaceae, Apocynaceae, Rosaceae, Meliaceae, Poaceae, Euphorbaceae present in different honey samples studied by Sunita and Mattu (2018); Zea mays and Trifolium reported by Cenet et al, (2015) while studying the honey samples of Turkey are in consort with the taxa reported in our studies.…”

Differences in the Pollen Content of Varieties of Polish Honey from Urban and Rural Apiaries

“…(30.1 %).For bees, both in rural and urban areas, it is important to forage from a rich diversity of honey plant species, particularly in spring. Honey bees feeding on various plant taxa are better able to obtain all their necessary nutrients, while those feeding on monoculture have limited access (Pound et al, 2017). Hence, urban areas, characterized by greater plant species diversity, appear to be beneficial for the health and vitality of bees.…”