PALYNOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF BEE POLLEN LOAD BATCHES FROM THE VENEZUELAN ANDES OF MISINTA

Besides honey, bee pollen is the beehive product best known by the public for nutritional and medicinal purposes. Ten samples of fresh bee pollen loads were collected using pollen traps during ten months from December 2004 to October 2005 in the Paramo of Misinta, Merida, Venezuela. They were evaluated in the present study using two techniques, one considering single pollen loads, and the other a pool of two grams of mixed pollen loads. Pollen loads changed from light green and yellow to brownish and ochre; Rosaceae, Eucalyptus and Hyptis pollen load colors changed monthly. A unique pollen type was commonly predominant in each pollen load, therefore confirming the preference of the bees to collect pollen from one species until reaching the final weight to be carried in their corbicula. Pollen load color analysis showed four bifloral and six heterofloral batches. Pollen load pool analysis emphazised three monofloral batches of Brassica napus in March, April and September, and two bifloral pollen batches in June and November, beside the five heterofloral ones. This evaluation revealed better the potential of the regional pollen production.