What do Bees do With Pollen?

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Honey bees depend heavily on pollen for their survival. Though when asked “What do bees do with pollen?”, many folks are unsure. Recognized as important pollinators for many blooming plants, bee visits benefit the bees and the plants that can now produce more fruit. In this post, I explore the true story of pollen and bees and why it is so important to our honey bees.

Honey bee worker covered with yellow pollen grains from flower.

I am sure you have seen worker bees flying around with colorful balls of pollen on their hind legs. A complete diet for bees (things that honey bees eat) will include pollen from many different sources. Honestly, the role of pollen in bee colony life is as important as that of honey.

Why Bees Need Pollen

Honey bees are gatherers not hunters. They do not eat other insects for protein (as wasps and hornets do). Plant pollen provides essential proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals necessary for rearing young bees.

A continuous source of new bees during the warm season, bees do not live for a very long time. No protein means no baby bees.

How Honey Bees Collect Pollen

Honey bees exhibit highly efficient behaviors when seeking out and collecting pollen for the colony. They also have special adaptions that help them transport needed resources back to the hive.

Pollen Foraging

Bees rely on a combination of visual and olfactory (smell) cues to help them find pollen in the field. Bees see flowers much different than we do. This is nature’s design to help lure in pollinators.

Close up of honey bee with pollen packed on back legs.

Pollen Baskets (Corbiculae)

Once the foraging bee lands on the flower with pollen. She uses her body, legs and mouthparts to gather the pollen grains. Saliva is added to create a sticky ball of pollen.

This then packed onto her “pollen baskets – or corbiculae. These concave areas with stiff hairs on the hind legs of bees are a specialized honey bee body part – designed for this task.

During a single foraging trip, the bees may visit hundreds of flowers until she feels her pollen load is full. Then, she returns to the hive.

Communication

Foraging for pollen continues throughout the warm season. The rate of pollen foraging depends on the needs of the colony and the availability of pollen in the field. Boasting advanced method of communication, honey bees dance to share the location of rich pollen sources with other colony members.

Bee pollen stored as bee bread in the honeycomb cells.

Pollen Storage in the Hive

Upon arriving at the hive, foragers visit wax honeycomb cells and deposit their pollen pellets. Now, the house bees (younger workers) take over the final storage process.

In it’s raw, fresh form pollen would be hard for bees to digest. And, full of nutrients and some moisture, raw pollen will spoil and degrade in nutritional value very quickly. Therefore, this raw material must be transformed into a substance called – bee bread.

Fermentation & Preservation

The addition of honey and bee saliva to the pollen mass triggers a natural fermentation process. This is important because it breaks down the hard outer covering of the pollen grains.

The fermentation process also produces beneficial lactic acid, which acts as a preservative, preventing the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi. Therefore, we call pollen stored in the comb – bee bread.

Pollen is stored in a well organized fashion. It is common to find it in wax cells near the brood nest region of the hive.

Role of Pollen in Colony Dynamics

Nurse bees rely heavily on a good supply of protein to fulfill their tasks of brood care. These young adults are responsible for producing special food to feed growing honey bee larvae.

They possess special glands in the head/mouth region that produces food for bee brood. But, they must consume protein to activate these glands.

Proper nutrition is very important to have a colony that is healthy and strong. Healthy workers are more efficient and production. They are also less susceptible to early death and various pests and diseases.

Pollen engorged nurse bees feeding young in the hive.

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Beekeepers Often Feed Protein

Sometimes beekeepers collect pollen from the bees during times of plenty and feed it back to the colonies during learn times.

To do this well, you have to understand how to store the pollen without allowing it to spoil. It is also a value-added product that beekeepers sell for a profit if they are doing beekeeping as a farm or business.

Personally, I’m very concerned about proper storage of fresh pollen. It molds very easily. Instead consider using a protein supplement such as Bee-Pro from Mann Lake. It can be used in this DIY pollen feeder. Or you can use my recipe for pollen patties.

Honey bees collecting pollen from a dry feeder.

FAQs

Do bees make honey with pollen?

No, bees do not use pollen to make honey. Honey is made from plant nectar. Raw honey may contain a few grains of pollen that have not been filtered out but pollen is not used in honey production.

Why do bees need pollen?

Pollen is a necessary protein source that bees need in order to rear young.

Where do bees find pollen?

Pollen is a component of plant reproductionPlants with heavy pollen need help from pollinators: bees, bats, butterflies, moths etc.

As the bees gather nectar- sticky pollen, inside the flower, is moved accidentally by the fuzzy bodies of bees. But, pollen is also gathered purposefully for use by the colony.

Final Thoughts

Now I am sure you better understand why pollen is so important to bees. While it is not used in making honey, it does support strong healthy colonies – needed to make a good honey crop. Give the bees a helping hand.

While planning your garden this year, choose some flowers that provide pollen. You will be helping our important honey bees rear young. And, the indirect pollination services may boost your vegetable garden production.

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16 Comments

  1. great article, well written and meaningful, thanks.

    1. Charlotte Anderson says:

      Thank you.

  2. Frank Allen says:

    As always you provide a lot of things that are important for us all. Thanks 😊

    1. Charlotte Anderson says:

      Thank you Frank, all for the bees

  3. Ray Smith says:

    You wrote…
    “Also, in it’s raw, fresh form pollen can be hard for honey bees to digest.”
    Are you saying that bees prefer bee bread to fresh incoming pollen?

    Thanks

    1. Charlotte Anderson says:

      It is my understanding-the foragers lack the proteolytic enzymes necessary to digest raw pollen. Even younger nurse bees consume (bee bread) to help break it down into digestible particles. But, I’m not saying that fresh pollen coming in does not encourage the colony due to the abundance of food – I am sure it must.

  4. Honey bees feed at my hummingbird feeders, and drink from my water fountain and birdbath. Dozens of them at a time, at all hours of the day. They don’t appear to be carrying pollen on their legs. Are they just lazy bees gathering nectar and not carrying out any pollen gathering or pollinating?

    1. Charlotte Anderson says:

      No they are not lazy at all. They are looking for nectar and your area must have a limited supply right now. Bees don’t only collect pollen – actually they collect more nectar. That is what is used to make honey – pollen is protein used to feed baby bees. You can tell when a forager is carrying nectar. It is really quite interesting to see what they collect. https://carolinahoneybees.com/things-bees-collect/

  5. Will Long says:

    Hi Charlotte, I have two questions about treating for mites. I live in Birmingham AL and got my first hive last year. I have one hive ( two Deeps and a supper w/ queen excluder and sugar syrup on top) I have never treated for mites and am wondering if it to late to do so this year ( 2/13/21 as I wright this) The question……. is it too late in the winter to treat for mites? What type treatment would you suggest? Also, the bees have “glued” the entrance reducer in place so that limits the options available to me. THANKS for your time!

  6. Kristie Jean Canaan says:

    I have a question. Is there a high number of casualties when moving bees to pollinate crops, as a business?

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Yes, especially if the bees are moved a long distance. Another problem is when the bees are placed on farms that only have 1 thing in bloom. Acres and acres of the same food source is unhealthy for bees. Just as if we were to eat the same one food all the time.

  7. Azalia Smith says:

    I really enjoyed your article (and the photos), it answered many questions. One thing I noticed under “People Collect Bee Pollen Too” that must be a typographical error is you wrote, “The natural pollen must be stored properly to permit mold.”

    I have a question, if I purchase a small, beehive box for honey bees and place it in my yard, can I just leave it alone and let the bees live their lives? (I have a small acreage and will plant bee friendly perennials and sunflowers for them and I am already getting a Mason bee house.)

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Thanks – typos and me have a long term relationship LOL – No Azalia, unfortunately if bees did move in – without beekeeper intervention they would most likely die. This is due in large part to the Varroa Mite which is a honey bee pest. Planting many different kinds of pollen and nectar producing plants will be a great thing to do! Best Wishes.

  8. Pete Jones says:

    Bee storing pollen.
    I have a shop for working on motorcycles and just recently, I have noticed a honey bee storing pollen in a bolt hole on a motorcycle. It had been storing pollen for a while without notice to me, until one day I happen to see the bee fly into the small hole. Looking inside, I could see the bee doing its thing, packing the pollen into place. I have never seen this happen before. Even after closing shop overnight, the bee keeps coming back during the daytime. I have covered the holes up but the bee keeps returning. Is this natural? With all the doors to the shop closed, I notice the bee outside looking for a way in.

    1. Beekeeper Charlotte says:

      Pete. Are you sure this is a honey bee? It sure does not sound like honey bee behavior. Bees live in large social colonies. I wonder if this is another type of bee that resembles a honey bee.