EVALUATION OF VARIOUS HONEYBEE FORAGING ACTIVITIES FOR IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL BEE PLANTS IN RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

Journal Article

Ghamdi, Ahmad Al Khazim Al . 2007

• المجلة \ الصحيفة: Annals of Agricultural Science
• رقم العدد: 2
• رقم الإصدار السنوي: 52
• الصفحات: 487-499

مستخلص المنشور

Flowering plants and honeybees have a special relationship in which both are
benefited from each other. As honeybees get food and in turn facilitate their pollination
process. Honeybees visit flowers to collect pollen and nectar. Pollens are the principle
source of protein, fats, vitamins and minerals, which are essential for honeybee growth
and development, repairing of worn out tissue and stimulating the development of
hypopharyngeal glands. Nectar is the carbohydrate compounds mainly sucrose, fructose
and glucose portion of the honeybee’s food and is the raw material of honey (Jones and
Yates, 1991).
Standard honey yield mainly depends on the availability of flora, which provide
nectar and pollens in copious quantity year around. So for maximum honey production
it becomes imperative to establish a balanced bee forage system where there is adequate
bee forge for large parts of the season but there are “windows of times” during which
the local bee forage is inadequate. These gaps can be filled with the identification and
planting of suitable bee plants. The potential bee plants can be identified by recording
activities of honeybees on different flowering plants.