Pollen Power

Seventy percent of flowering plants are pollinated by insects; this partnership is one of the most fundamental to the equilibrium of our ecosystem.

When observed under an electronic microscope, grains of pollen present the most astonishing shapes. Some grains are ornamented with a multitude of small spikes which allow them to easily hook onto the forager’s hair. The bee will serve them as a taxi to pay court to female gametes in other flowers of the same species.

The rear legs of the forager are hollowed into the form of a basket, wherein they bear their harvest during flight. Having been coagulated into pellets, the grains of pollen are solidly stowed there thanks to a tiny curved spur – a marvel of engineering!

Energetically, bee pollen is the counterpart of honey. Honey is mostly made of nectar, the female juice of plants. Pollen, on the contrary, is a concentrate of male gametes, literally the plant equivalent of sperm.

Pollen is a very rich source of proteins and antioxidants that boosts immunity and reduces inflammation. Bee pollen consumption can desensitise the body and reduce allergies such as hay fever.

Be aware that raw pellets of pollen are not very bio-available by themselves. It is recommended to open the pellet grains in order to benefit fully from the pollen properties. To do so, mix the pellets with a spoon of lemon water or honey water for an hour before consumption. The acidity will help dissolve the outer shell of the pollen grains.

To collect raw pollen, beekeepers set a mesh at the entrance of the hive. The hole is big enough for the bee to pass through, but the pollen pellets are ripped off their legs and fall into a container below.

Unfortunately, many bees also lose their legs and antennae while passing through these little holes. Therefore, the BeeWisdom team has decided to not collect pollen in that way.

Bees don’t consume raw pollen. When they store the pollen in cells, they add enzymes and honey, and let it mature into “pollen bread”, that we like to call “sublimed pollen”. Pollen bread is the main food for bee brood. The quality and variety of pollen resources are essential to the immunity and health of bee colonies.

For us, as for the bees, pollen bread is much more bioavailable than raw pollen and absolutely delicious. Nevertheless it is not easy to collect, so we mostly receive it as a gift when a colony dies. It can be kept in a cool place for a week or frozen and preserved for several years.