īees other than Apis typically form pollen into balls these are primarily ground-nesting bees or twig-nesting bees, most of which are solitary, such as leafcutter bees. Bee pollen is the primary source of protein for the hive. During collection and possibly packing, the pollen is mixed with nectar and bee salivary secretions, signalling the start of the lactic fermentation process. The foragers unload the pollen they gather directly into open cells located at the interface between the brood and stored honey, creating a typical band of what is called bee bread – the substance which is the main food source for honeybee larvae and workers.įoraging bees bring pollen back to the hive, where they pass it off to other worker bees, who pack the pollen into cells with their heads. įorager bees that gather pollen do not eat it themselves, since they stop producing the proteolytic enzymes necessary to digest it when they transition to foraging. It differs from field-gathered pollen as honeybee secretions induce a fermentation process, where biochemical transformations break down the walls of flower pollen grains and render the nutrients more readily available. In honeybees ( Apis species) pollen is stored in the chambers of the hives. Details Vertical dissection of cells from a comb, showing the packing of different types of pollen over time Bee pollen is harvested as food for humans and marketed as having various, but yet unproven, health benefits. Bee pollen is stored in brood cells, mixed with saliva, and sealed with a drop of honey. It consists of simple sugars, protein, minerals and vitamins, fatty acids, and a small percentage of other components. Ball of pollen gathered by worker honeybees Honeybee with pollen baskets A pollen trap Fresh bee pollen Frozen bee pollen, a human food supplement Bee bread: the bee pollen stored in the combsīee pollen, also known as bee bread and ambrosia, is a ball or pellet of field-gathered flower pollen packed by worker honeybees, and used as the primary food source for the hive.
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