Physical and chemical properties of Cistus spp. and Sinapis arvensis L. pollens and their effects on the honey bee colony (Apis mellifera L.) growth rate

In this study, the physical and chemical properties of Cistus spp. and Sinapis arvensis L. pollens and their effects on the honey bee colony growth rate were investigated. These pollens are widely consumed by honey bees (Apis mettifera L.) and sold commercially in Turkey. The pollen traps were placed in the honey bee colonies at the campus of Akdeniz University and the collected pollens were then compared with the collected pollens of the plants mentioned above. The pollens were examined by Scanning Electron Microscope. The Sinapis arvensis L. pollens were observed as yellow-colored, 33.125 urn in size, dicolpat, and from two different angle they were prolate and sferoidale shaped. The Cistus spp. pollens were orange-colored, tricolporate, and steroidal shaped. The Cistus creticus L. pollens were measured 43.873 urn in size while Cistus salviifolius L. pollens were 47.625 um. The organic and inorganic nutrient contents of the pollens were calculated as the percentage of the dry matter (DM). The results showed that Sinapis arvensis L. pollens contained 80.23 DM, 2.08 ash, 9.43 ether extracts (EE), 1.29 crue fiber (CF), 22.782 crude protein (CP), nitrogen free extracts 64.37 NFE,1.125 P, 0.25 Ca, 0.13 111Mg, 0.47 K, 0.0016 Mn, 0.01 Fe, 0.0017 Cu, 0.0037 Zn, and 0.0166 % Na. Similarly Cistus spp. pollens contained 83.717 DM, 1.99 Ash, 5.72 EE, 1.151 CF, 16.083 CP, 75.05 NFE, 0.55 P, 0.087 Ca, 0.04 Mg, 0.36 K, 0.00099 Mn, 0.00560 Fe, 0.00071 Cu, 0.00255 Zn, and 0.0125 % Na. The pollens of Sinapis arvensis L. indicated significantly (p<0.01) higher values of EE, CP, P, Ca, Mg, K, Mn, Fe, and Cu than the Cistus spp. pollens. The honey bee colonies were divided into three groups and Sinapis arvensis L. and Cistus spp. pollen cakes were given to the first group while the second group received pollen substitute cakes made from soybean flour, skimed milk powder, brewers'dried yeast, and sugar syrup. The third group nonfed used as the control. Every 21 days, the number of frames of bees, the number of frames with brood and the brood area were measured. In all groups although, the first group receiving the pollen cakes showed some higher results, differences among the groups interms of all criteria mentioned above were not statistically significant. KEY WORDS: Sinapis arvensis L., Cistus spp., pollens, the physical and chemical properties, Apis mellifera L., honey bee colony growth rate.