Click on the image below to view the West Virginia Pollen Project’s results. The Northeast SARE Final Report will be available from the NE SARE web site in the near future.
WV Pollen Project 2015 Final Outreach Report
This report covers the pollen bees collected March through June. For the second half of the project, covering the pollen types bees collected July through October, click here.
Most of the nutrients bees require to thrive come from pollen. This study answers questions about which plants the bees get their pollen from at 5 locations in West Virginia, March through June. You might be surprised to see how much does or does not come from the various plant species. I hope to continue research on July through October pollen sources next year.
Although honey bees may have access to abundant honey-producing plants, they may still suffer nutritionally if they lack sufficient pollen, a factor we beekeepers can tend to overlook. With all the Autumn Olive, Black Locust, Tulip Poplar, Basswood, Milkweed, and Sourwood in the world, honey bees may still suffer for severe lack of nutrition.
It is my hope that this research might be of help to Beekeepers, Landowners, Land Reclamation Specialists, Bio-engineers, Landscapers, Utilities, Wildlife Biologists, and anyone else who may have questions regarding which plants are most utilized by bees as vital pollen sources.