Bee Pollen, Snohomish, Washington, USA

Macro-Photograph

Definition/Function:

Bee pollen is the assemblage of pollen packets collected by honeybees in a specific area. A screen is placed at the entrance of the hive and the pollen packets on the hind leg of the bees are knocked off and fall into a collection tray. These packets are then placed in a container for sale. Bees tend to go to one type of plant at a time so the different individual packets tend to carry a dominant type of pollen. That results in the packets being different colors. One useful reference to these colors is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source.

Significance in the Environment:

Characteristic Features:

Associated Particles:

References:

Faegri, Knut and Johs Iversen, TEXTBOOK OF POLLEN ANALYSIS, Hafner Publishing Company, 1964.

Kapp, Ronald O., HOW TO KNOW POLLEN AND SPORES, Wm. C. Brown Company, 1969.

Moore, P.D., J. A. Webb, and M. E. Collinson, POLLEN ANALYSIS, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1991