Floral origin and seasonal variation of bee-collected pollens from individual colonies in New Zealand

SUMMARY

Bee pollens were collected throughout a season from hives situated in various parts of New Zealand. The floral sources of the pollens were successfully identified using HPLC to compare the flavonoid profiles of bee- collected and floral pollens. The level of each floral type of pollen was also determined for the bee pollen mixes studied. A picture of the important pollen sources for bees in New Zealand was established based on the colonies studied and the season in which the sampling was taken. It was found that the local vegetation plays a significant role as to which pollens are collected by bees, and that while certain pollens dominate in a bee pollen mix, the contribution of other species is still important.

Keywords:

• honey bees
• Apis mellifera
• pollen
• flavonoid profiles
• New Zealand
• high pressure liquid chromatography
• HPLC
• floral origin