Pollen Collectors

[The15thMember]

Phillip
We were pollinating lucerne/alfalfa beside a corn crop.
The link for pollen quality in Australia is in an article by Duog Sommerville, Oz bee guru.
The whole article is a good read but pollen is in section 6

https://www.agrifutures.com.au/product/fat-bees-skinny-bees-a-manual-on-honey-bee-nutrition-for-beekeepers/

I'll be taking a closer look at that article, thanks for posting.

Food for thought:
I suppose the Pollinator type beekeeper will have his bees concentrated on a specific crop in many cases per the definition of his business, paid Pollinator Beekeeper. In that case I tend agree with the both of you. The pollen 'variety' in his pollen will be limited to those specific crops centered on. The more so the better the job the pollinator is doing for his customer. (demonstrating the bees are concentrating of the crop employed)

This is very true, and it's also being looked at right now as one of the many reasons why bees who go into totally monocultural pollination, like almonds, often return in poor health.  I've been hearing a lot on podcasts recently about how poor quality nutrition is perhaps an overlooked area which makes bees more vulnerable to diseases and pests.     

However I think is fair to point out, the average beekeeper, will have his bees located in areas which will have a 'variety' of 'sources' of both 'pollen and nectar'. This beekeepers' goal will in most cases, be focused on honey production, (the main reason for keeping bees for most beekeepers), along with the pleasure of it, and of course others reasons as well.

I think this is probably true on the whole, especially in a rural area, although bees in areas with large scale monocultural farming or suburban/urban areas with mostly sterile ornamental plants may have more trouble finding the ideal variety of pollen.

Most pollen that I have seen which was collected for sale had a clear 'variety' of different pollens from 'several' sources as 'can be seen by the color' of the pollen collected.  A vast variety of colors should equal a vast variety of pollen types collected.

If I was buying pollen, I'd want the most color variety possible for that very reason.  Unfortunately, many consumers seem to think that pollen is only yellow or orange and aren't as attracted to pollen of stranger colors.  If you look at bee pollen that isn't sourced from a local beekeeper at a place like Walmart or a health food store, you'll notice it's mostly just yellow. 

I do not know that pollen is the 'perfect food'. I have also heard that statement before as well. But, I think there is little doubt of the claimed health benefits of the rich quantities of vitamins, amino acids, proteins etc which are found in pollen. There have been many studies and papers which confirm this bounty of nature.

I absolutely agree, the trouble is simply the fact that there is so much variety in the contents of different pollen and mixes of pollen, that it's difficult for science to standardize any findings about it.   

[Oldbeavo]

Pollinating almonds is a massive monoculture, but there are sometimes weeds that add to the variety of bee collection.
Most Australian plantings of almonds will have areas that are not suited to almond trees, clay soils, that will grow various bee friendly weeds or native bush
Almonds is a very good crop for bees, good pollen and enough nectar to get the queens really going.
Our bees have not gone onto almonds and came out worse than when they went on. Even in very dry times when there is minimal weeds the bees have done well.
There are not cherry orchards big enough that bees can't fly out of and forage, though one of our cherry pollinations is at altitude (cool days) and the bees can come out of there with some additional brood but sometimes with less honey than when they went.
Pollen colors, various yellows, cream, oranges, fawn-clover, red-mistletoe, grey-lucerne, gunmetal grey-faba beans, dark purple-salvation jane and white-chickory.
But true, all pollen sold is yellow, canola?

[Ben Framed]

Oldbeavo I would think you are getting a good variety of pollen sources in your pollen with your description. Here In America I have ran across few Pollinating beekeepers who share the experiences and 'secrets' of pollinating. I am subscribed to one such fellow from Southeast Alabama who sends his bees to the Almonds in California. I really enjoy hearing him talk of this. His name is Bruce Jenne of Brucebees Youtube. He has only been keeping bees since 2013, (if I remember correctly), but has progressed light years in bee knowledge and eagerly shares that knowledge like you do. I appreciate you both! Pollinating beekeeping is very interesting!

Thanks,

Phillip

[The15thMember]

Pollinating almonds is a massive monoculture, but there are sometimes weeds that add to the variety of bee collection.
Most Australian plantings of almonds will have areas that are not suited to almond trees, clay soils, that will grow various bee friendly weeds or native bush
Almonds is a very good crop for bees, good pollen and enough nectar to get the queens really going.
Our bees have not gone onto almonds and came out worse than when they went on. Even in very dry times when there is minimal weeds the bees have done well.
There are not cherry orchards big enough that bees can't fly out of and forage, though one of our cherry pollinations is at altitude (cool days) and the bees can come out of there with some additional brood but sometimes with less honey than when they went.
Pollen colors, various yellows, cream, oranges, fawn-clover, red-mistletoe, grey-lucerne, gunmetal grey-faba beans, dark purple-salvation jane and white-chickory.
But true, all pollen sold is yellow, canola?

That's good to hear.  I've heard about areas in the US, not just with almonds, but in the Midwest where there is a lot of big ag where those edge-of-the-field weedy areas and understory plants in orchards are almost nonexistent from overuse of herbicides, and it's areas like that where bees can really struggle, not only honeys but native bees too. 

[Oldbeavo]

Hi Folks
I just want to give this link a BUMP as it can be down loaded in PDF and read at your leisure.

https://www.agrifutures.com.au/product/fat-bees-skinny-bees-a-manual-on-honey-bee-nutrition-for-beekeepers/

We found it a great help.

[Ben Framed]

Oldbeavo I appreciate you posting this. I look forward to downloading the PDF tonight when things settle down here a bit.

Phillip

[loisl58]

Thanks for list of pollen colours.

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