A New Type of Bee Pollen from The Nests of Wild Bees (Osmia rufa L. syn. O. bicornis) in Forest Seed Orchards

Abstract

Mateusz Kesy*

Seed orchards are used in forestry to avoid monoculture management in forest areas and also constitute a gene bank for various tree species. Today, several hundred seed orchards are located in the country in order to meet seed needs, preserve species diversity and preserve the genetic resources of forest management in the country. The paper presents an innovative solution to increase tree yield by introducing nests with solitary bees Osmia rufa L. (syn. Bicornis) into forest monocultures. During scientific research, significant amounts of bee pollen were observed that were not consumed by bee larvae. It was decided to observe the reasons for this and to determine the possibilities of using this type of pollen as a new bee product (not from honey bees Apis mellifera L., which provides most of the known bee products). The aim of the work was to present the composition of a new type of pollen and show the possibilities of its use.