A Comparative Study of Methods Recording Beekeeping Flora

Abstract

The knowledge of beekeeping flora of an area and of each plant’s provision is crucial for beekeepers to plan their hive transfers when practicing nomadic beekeeping. Thus, in the present study, we evaluated the use of pollen traps as a means of identifying beekeeping plants in target areas, assessing their pollen percentage contributions and estimating their flowering seasons. The results were compared with the classical field observation method, widely used for flora recording. In total, 98.8% of the plants were recognized by using pollen traps and 89.4% from observations in the field, while for 73% there was found an agreement between population size (Wittig Scale) and Pollen Contribution Scale (PCS). The results showed that pollen traps can be helpful tools not only for defining the presence or absence of a beekeeping plant, but also for providing important information regarding the population size of a taxon of major beekeeping importance in the area surrounding the apiary. Finally, the estimation of the flowering season and its maximum point can be accurately predicted by using pollen traps on plants of beekeeping interest.