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Original article
Nectar and pollen sources for honeybees in Kafrelsheikh province of
northern Egypt
El-Kazafy A. Taha
a,b,
⇑
, Reda A. Taha
c
, Saad N. AL-Kahtani
b
a
Economic Entomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
b
Arid Land Agriculture Department, Faculty of Agriculture & Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
c
Honeybee Research Section, Plant Protection Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
article info
Article history:
Received 13 October 2017
Revised 8 December 2017
Accepted 24 December 2017
Available online xxxx
Keywords:
Flora
Honeybee
Kafrelshiekh
Nectar
Pollen
abstract
This study was conducted at the apiary of the Beekeeping Research Section at the Sakha Agricultural
Research Station, ARC, Kafrelsheikh, and other apiaries in Kafrelsheikh province, during two successive
years 2015 and 2016. The study aimed to survey nectar and pollen floral resources in Kafrelsheikh pro-
vince. Ninty seven plant species belonging to 33 families were recorded as nectar sources, and 82 plant
species belonging to 36 families were recorded as pollen sources during the whole year. The largest
amount of monthly trapped pollen was obtained during May followed by August. It can be concluded
that, beekeepers in Kafrelsheikh province can harvest good honey yield at the end of blooming seasons
of citrus (Citrus spp.) during March and April, Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) during May
and June, loofah (Luffa aegyptiaca Mill.) during June to October, cotton (Gossypium spp.) during July
and August, and banana (Musa spp.) during August and September. They also, could be trapping pollen
loads collected from faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) during January to March,
date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) during March and April, Egyptian clover during May and June, summer
seed watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. colothynthoides L.) during June and July, loofah and maize (Zea
mays L.) during June to November.
Ó2017 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access
article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
1. Introduction
The main honey flow seasons in Egypt are citrus during March
and April, Egyptian clover during April to June, and cotton during
July and August (Taha, 2005). In addition, two secondary honey
flow seasons: loofah during June to October (Taha et al., 2006),
and banana during August and September (Taha, 2007) were
recorded in Kafrelsheikh province. Long gaps in the availability of
bee floral resources between the flow seasons affect the growth
and productivity of bee colonies (Taha, 2000, 2005). During such
floral dearth periods, particularly when pollen is not available,
colonies gradually use up stored resources within the combs in
their nests, while the queens stop laying eggs and the colonies
become weak (Manning, 2008; Taha and Al-Kahtani, 2013). Such
colonies use up a major part of nectar and pollen collected directly
after the dearth for buildup of colony population. For beekeepers,
this process is destructive for their business. Honeybee colonies
should to be populous in order to store surplus nectar, which is
then harvested (Taha and Al-Kahtani, 2013). Beekeepers usually
provide their colonies with artificial feeding including sugar syrup
and pollen substitutes/supplements during dearth periods (Taha,
2015c). However, no artificial feeds have been found equivalent
to nectar and pollen (Mohanna, 1989). The knowledge on the
major floral resources lead beekeepers to maintain colony strength,
economize the cost of feeding, and harvest good honey yield (Carol,
1999; Taha, 2005, 2015a).
In tropical and sub-tropical areas, bee floral resources are avail-
able around the year, and the activity of honeybee colonies in gath-
ering nectar and/or pollen is continued throughout the year
(Neupane and Thapa, 2005). However, the foraging activities of
honeybees for pollen are greatly influenced by weather factors
and availability of pollen (Taha and Al-Kahtani, 2013; Taha,
2014). It is very useful for beekeepers to have a knowledge on nec-
tar and/or pollen floral resources in their areas, that’s could help
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.12.010
1319-562X/Ó2017 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
⇑
Corresponding author at: Arid Land Agriculture Department, Faculty of
Agriculture & Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
E-mail address: etaha@kfu.edu.sa (E.-K.A. Taha).
Peer review under responsibility of King Saud University.
Production and hosting by Elsevier
Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences xxx (2017) xxx–xxx
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
journal homepage: www.sciencedirect.com
Please cite this article in press as: Taha, E.-K.A., et al. Nectar and pollen sources for honeybees in Kafrelsheikh province of northern Egypt. Saudi Journal of
Biological Sciences (2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.12.010
them to plan for managing their colonies, and they may be decided
to move it to another area rich with nectar and pollen floral
resources during certain periods to have good honey yield, produc-
ing bee swarms, or queen production (Taha, 2005, 2015a).
Studies on nectar and/or pollen plants for honeybees were con-
ducted in Brazil (Luz and Barth, 2012); in Costa Rica (Freitas,
1994); in Bulgaria (Atanassova and Lazarova, 2010); in Egypt
(Taha, 2000; Helal et al., 2003; Fathy, 2008; Ismail et al., 2013;
Abou-Shaara, 2015; Esmael et al., 2016); in Germany (Köppler
et al., 2007; Beil et al., 2008); in India (Singh, 2003); in Iran
(Mossadegh, 1990); in Italy (Fortunato et al., 2006); in Mexico
(Villanueva, 1989); in Nibal (Paudayal and Gautam, 2011); in Nige-
ria (Dukku, 2003); in Palestine (Reyahi, 1999); in Philippines
(Payawal et al., 1991); in Poland (Wróblewska et al., 2010); in
Saudi Arabia (Taha, 2013, 2015a,b; Taha et al., 2016; Adgaba
et al., 2017, Al-Kahtani et al., 2017; Taha et al., 2017); in Spain
(Seijo et al., 1994); in Turkey (Bilisik et al. 2008); in USA (Baum
et al., 2011).
The present study aimed to survey major and minor sources of
nectar and/or pollen for honeybees in Kaferelsheikh province,
northern Egypt throughout the year. The second goal was to throw
the light on the periods in which beekeepers can harvesting honey
yield, and/or trapping pollen loads collected from the major
sources.
2. Materials and method
The present study was carried out at the apiary of the Beekeep-
ing Research Section at Sakha Agricultural Research Station, ARC,
Kafrelsheikh, and other apiaries in Kafrelsheikh province, northern
Egypt throughout two successive years, from January 2015 to
December 2016. Kafrelsheikh lies at latitude 31°06
0
42
00
N and longi-
tude 30°56
0
45
00
E at an altitude of 17 m above sea level. It comprises
10 cities: Metoubes, Sidi Salem, Fuwwah, Desouk, Qallin, Kafrel-
sheikh, El-Reyad, Beila, El-Hamool, and Baltim.
Fresh flowers were collected from the plants as buds before
anthesis, and reference slides were prepared according to
Louveaux et al. (1978). The anthers were washed out 3 times in a
watch glass filled with ether and then were dried. The pollen grains
were transferred to a slide and spread out. A drop of fructose solu-
tion (20 g fructose + 0.5 g crystallized phenol in 100 ml of distilled
water) was added to facilitate the transferring, and accelerate the
swelling of the pollen grains. The preparation was dried on a
warming plate at 40 °C and mounted with glycerine gelatine. This
procedure was done for the pollen grains of each plant species. The
prepared reference slides were stored in a refrigerator.
Five colonies (each 10 combs) of hybrid Carniolan (Apis mellifera
carnica Pollmann) honeybees were selected in each city to study
the fluctuation of collected bee-pollen throughout the year in
Kaferelsheikh province. All colonies were approximately in the
same strength (brood combs, stored food, and adult bee popula-
tion). Pollen traps with efficiency of 25% were fitted on the
entrance of the hives in each city. Pollen loads were collected from
pollen traps every two days. Pollen loads were dried at room tem-
perature in a shady place for two hrs to make the separation easy.
The pollen loads were hand-sorted according to their color and
appearance, then referred to their sources, and were weighted
using an electrical balance. Microscopical examinations were con-
ducted to identify the floral origin of pollen grains according to
their shape and size by comparing with the previously prepared
reference pollen slide.
Recording of all plant species which were observed to be visited
by honeybee workers was done throughout the year in the ten
regions represented Kaferelsheikh province. Unidentified plant
species were collected, transferred to the laboratory, then were
identified and recorded. Each source was identified by its scientific
name and botanical family. Average date of the blooming period of
each plant and the value for bees as a source of nectar and/or pol-
len were recorded.
Data were statistically analyzed by the analysis of variance
(ANOVA) using PROC GLM ver. 9.1.3 SAS
Ò
software computer pro-
gram (SAS Institute, 2003). Means of monthly collected bee-pollen
were compared using Least Significant Difference (LSD) tests (
a
:
0.05).
3. Results
Data listed in Table 1 showed that 110 plant species belonging
to 39 plant families were recorded as pollen and/or nectar floral
resources in Kafrelshiekh province throughout 2015 and 2016.
Ninty seven plant species belonging to 33 families were recorded
as nectar sources and 82 plant species belonging to 36 families
were recorded as pollen sources during the whole year. The most
important species for honeybees in Kafrelshiekh province were
faba bean (Vicia faba L.), flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), peach (Prunus
persica L.) citrus (Citrus spp.), date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.),
Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), guava (Psidium guajava
L.), summer seed watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. colothynthoides
L.), loofah (Luffa aegyptiaca Mill.), maize (Zea mays L.), cotton
(Gossypium spp.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), banana (Musa
spp.). The highest numbers (64 spp.) of blooming species were
recorded during March, while the lowest numbers (7 spp.) were
recorded during January.
As shown in Table 2 faba bean, Egyptian clover, summer seed
watermelon, and cotton were recorded as major nectar floral
resources in all regions of Kafrelshiekh province. Faba bean, Egyp-
tian clover, summer seed watermelon, and maize were recorded as
major pollen floral resources in all regions of Kafrelshiekh pro-
vince. Citrus was recorded as a major nectar, and minor pollen flo-
ral resource in Metoubes, Fuwwah, and Desouk regions. Banana
was recorded as a honey plant in Fuwwah, and Desouk regions.
Loofah was recorded as a major floral resource of nectar and pollen
in Metoubes region. In Metoubes and Baltim regions, guava was
recorded as a major nectar and pollen floral resource, while date
palm was recorded as a major pollen floral resource. Sunflower
was recorded as a major source of nectar and pollen in Sidi Salem,
Qallin and Kafrelsheikh regions, and as a minor source in the others
regions.
The average yearly amounts of collected bee-pollen were 2.866
and 2.780 kg/colony in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Significant
(P < .01) variations were found among amounts of trapped
pollen loads during months throughout the year. The largest
amounts of collected bee-pollen were obtained during May
(440.77 and 425.33 g/colony), followed by August (327.73 and
335.62 g/colony), then March (305.33 and 284.80 g/colony), while
the lowest amounts of trapped pollen loads were obtained during
January (131.92 and 115.66 g/colony), followed by December
(136.36 and 125.65 g/colony) in 2015 and 2016, respectively
(Fig. 1).
4. Discussion
The survey of bee plants in Kafrelshiekh province showed that
110 plant species were visited by honeybees (A. mellifera L.);
worker bees can collect nectar from 97 species, and can collect pol-
len from 82 floral resources during the whole year. Previous stud-
ies in Egypt showed that, there were 39 bee forages belonging to
15 families in Kafrelshiekh region (Taha, 2005), 26 pollen species
in 15 families in Dakahlia (Fathy, 2008), 24 pollen sources belong-
ing to 16 families at Fayoum (Ismail et al., 2013), and 65 bee plants
2E.-K.A. Taha et al. / Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences xxx (2017) xxx–xxx
Please cite this article in press as: Taha, E.-K.A., et al. Nectar and pollen sources for honeybees in Kafrelsheikh province of northern Egypt. Saudi Journal of
Biological Sciences (2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.12.010
Table 1
Nectar and pollen floral resources in Kafrelsheikh province during 2015 and 2016 years.
Latin name Common name Family Flowering period Source
Nectar Pollen
1Vicia faba L. Faba bean Fabaceae January–March ++ ++
2Lupinus albus L. White lupin Fabaceae January–March + +
3Trigonella foenum-graecum L. Fenugreek Fabaceae January–March + +
4Linum usitatissimum L. Flax Linaceae January–March ++ ++
5Ocimum spp. Basil Lamiaceae January–Decmber + +
6Prunus persica L. Peach Rosaceae Febraury–March ++ ++
7Prunus armeniaca L. Apricot Rosaceae Febraury–March + +
8Anagallis arvensis L. Scarlet pimpernel Myrsinaceae Febraury–March + +
9Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck Eureka lemon Rotaceae Febraury–March + +
10 Citrus aurantiifolia Swingle Key lime Rotaceae Febraury–March + +
11 Citrus latifolia (Yu.Tanaka) Tanaka Persian Lime Rotaceae Febraury–March + +
12 Pisum sativum L. Pea Fabaceae February–March + +
13 Avena fatua L. Wild oat. Poaceae February–March +
14 Setaria viridis (L.) P.Beauv Green foxtail Poaceae February–March +
15 Sisumbrium irio L. Thumble mustard Brassicaceae February–April + +
16 Raphanus sativus L. Radish Brassicaceae February–April + +
17 Eruca sativa Mill. Rocket Brassicaceae February–April + +
18 Melilotus siculus All. Yellow sweet clover Fabaceae February–April +
19 Melilotus indicus All. Sour clover Fabaceae February–April +
20 Medicago hispida Gaertn. Bur clover Fabaceae February–April +
21 Malus domestica Borkh. nom. illeg. Apple Rosaceae February–April + +
22 Salex safsaf Forssk Egyptian willow Salicaceae February–April +
23 Casuarina equisetifolia L. Casuarina Casuarinaceae February–April +
24 Persea americana Mill. Avocado Lauraceae February–April + +
25 Anethum graveolens L. Dill Asteraceae February–May + +
26 Petroselenum crispum Mill. Parsley Asteraceae February–May + +
27 Senecio vulgaris L. Groundsel Asteraceae February–May + +
28 Malva sylvestris L. High mallow Malvaceae February–May + +
29 Ricinus communis L.Castor bean Euphorbiaceae February–May + +
30 Coriandrum sativum L.Coriander Apiaceae February–October + +
31 Barasica oleracea var.capitata L. Cabbage Brassicaceae February–April + +
32 Barasica rapa L. Turnip Brassicaceae February–April + +
33 Barasica napus L. Rape Brassicaceae February–April + +
34 Barasica nigra Koch Wild mustard Brassicaceae March–May + +
35 Pyrus malus L. Apple Rosaceae March–April + +
36 Pyrus communis L. Pear Rosaceae March–April + +
37 Citrus sinensis Osbeck Orange Rotaceae March–April ++ +
38 Citrus reticulata Blanco Mandarin orange Rotaceae March–April ++ +
39 Citrus aurantium Linn Sour orange Rotaceae March–April + +
40 Phoenix dactylifera L. Date palm Arecaceae March–April ++
41 Mangifera indica L. Mango Anacardiaceae March–April + +
42 Punica granatum L. Pomegranate Lythraceae March–April + +
43 Papaver rhoeas L. Common poppy Papaveraceae March–April + +
44 Borago officinalis L. Borage Boraginaceae March–April + +
45 Matricaria chamomilla L. Chamomile Asteraceae March–April + +
46 Rosmarinus officinalis L. Rosemary Lamiaceae March–April + +
47 Emex spinosus L. Devil’s thorn Polygonaceae March–April + +
48 Oxalis griffithii Edgew. & Hook. Pink doubl flower Oxalidaceae March–April + +
49 Hordeum murinum L. Wall barley Poaceae March–April +
50 Urtica urens L. Nettle Urticaceae March–April + +
51 Lolium multiflorum Lam. Ryegrass Poaceae March–April +
52 Nerium oleander L. Nerium Apocynaceae March–April + +
53 Silybum marianum L. Star-thistle Asteraceae March–May + +
54 Morus alba L. White mulberry Moraceae March–May + +
55 Morus nigra L. Mulberry Moraceae March–May + +
56 Alcea rosea L. Hollyhock Malvaceae March–September +
57 Convolvulus arvensis L. Field Bindweed Convolvulaceae March–October + +
58 Libbia nodiflora L. Lebya Verbenaceae March–October + +
59 Petunia spp. Petunia Solanaceae March–October + +
60 Solanum lycopersicum L. Tomato Solanaceae March–December + +
61 Solanum melongena L. Eggplant Solanaceae March–December + +
62 Capsicum annuum L.Chili pepper Solanaceae March–December + +
63 Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum Dunal Chiltepin Solanaceae March–December + +
64 Zantedeschia aethiopica (L.) Spreng. Arum lily Araceae April–May + +
65 Albizia julibrissin Durazz Pink siris Fabaceae April–May + +
66 Melaleuca viminalis (Sol. ex Gaertn.) Byrnes Weeping bottlebrush Myrtaceae April–May + +
67 Acacia saligna (Labill.) H.L. Wendl Coojong Fabaceae April–May + +
68 Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch. Bip. Feverfew Asteraceae April–May + +
69 Olea europaea L. Olive Oleaceae April–May + +
70 Euphorbia milii Des Moul Christ thorn Euphorbiaciae April–May + +
71 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Barbary fig Cactaceae April–May + +
72 Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis Naudin Cantaloupe Cucurbitaceae April–May + +
73 Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai Watermelon Cucurbitaceae April–May ++ ++
(continued on next page)
E.-K.A. Taha et al. / Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences xxx (2017) xxx–xxx 3
Please cite this article in press as: Taha, E.-K.A., et al. Nectar and pollen sources for honeybees in Kafrelsheikh province of northern Egypt. Saudi Journal of
Biological Sciences (2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.12.010
belonging to 25 plant families in Alexandria and El-Beheira pro-
vinces (Esmael et al., 2016). In India, more than 60 plant species
were visited by A. cerana, five species were potential sources of
nectar and five species were sources for pollen (Nehru et al.,
1988). In Iran, 173 bee plants belonging to 32 families were
recorded; 89 plants produce surplus honey and 28 species as major
pollen sources (Mossadegh, 1990). In Mexico, 102 plant species
were visited by the bees (Villanueva, 1989). In Saudi Arabia, 79
bee plant species belonging to 24 botanical families were recorded
as nectar and/or pollen sources in Al-Ahsa province (Taha, 2015a),
meanwhile 182 species from 49 plant families were identified as
bee forages in Al-Baha region (Adgaba et al., 2017).
Of the total 110 species were recorded, 76 (69.10%) were herbs,
29 (26.36%) trees, and 5 (4.54%) shrubs. The main 5 sources of
honey were classified as 3 herbs (T. alexdrinum,L. aegyptiaca, and
Gossypium spp.) and two trees (Citrus spp., and Musa spp.). Mean-
while, all major pollen floral resources were classified as herbs
except for date palm, guava and peach were trees. All major floral
resources of nectar and/or pollen were cultivated plants. Similar
results were reported by Taha (2000, 2005), Fathy (2008), Ismail
Table 1 (continued)
Latin name Common name Family Flowering period Source
Nectar Pollen
74 Ammi visnaga L. Tooth pick Asteraceae April–May + +
75 Cichorium intybus L. Chicory Asteraceae April–May + +
76 Trifolium alexandrinum L. Egyptian clover Fabaceae April–June ++ ++
77 Cucurbita pepo Thunb Squash Cucurbitaceae April–September + +
78 Portulaca oleracea L. Purslane Portulacaceae April–October +
79 Pluchea dioscoridis (L.) DC. Camphorweeds Asteraceae April–October + +
80 Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. Chinese hibiscus Malvaceae May–June +
81 Ammi spp. Celery Apiaceae May–June + +
82 Malvaviscus arboreus Cav. Sleeping hibiscus Malvaceae May–June +
83 Carduus acanthoides L. Welted thistle Asteraceae May–June + +
84 Pelargonium zonale (L.) L’Hér. ex Aiton Horse-shoe pelargonium Geraniaceae May–June + +
85 Delonix regia (Boj. ex Hook.) Raf Royal poinciana Fabaceae May–June + +
86 Aptenia cordifolia (L.f.) N.E.Br Baby sun rose Aizoaceae May–June + +
87 Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit White leadtree Fabaceae May–June + +
88 Cichorium pumilum Gacq Willd chicory Asteraceae May–June + +
89 Psidium guajava L. Guava Myrtaceae May–July + ++
90 Ipomoea carnea Jace. Pink morning glory Convolvulaceae May–December +
91 Citrullus lanatus var. colothynthoides L. Summer seed watermelon Cucurbitaceae June–July + ++
92 Duranta spp. Duranta Verbenaceae June–August + +
93 Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench Okra Malvaceae June–September +
94 Cucumis sativus L. Cucmber Cucurbutaceae June–October + +
95 Luffa aegyptiaca Mill. Loofah Cucurbitaceae June–November ++ ++
96 Zea mays L. Maize or corn Poaceae June–November ++
97 Gossypium spp. Cotton Malvaceae July–August ++
98 Origanum majorana L. Marjoram Lamiaceae July–August + +
99 Hibiscus canabinus L. Kenaf Malvaceae July–August +
100 Helianthus annuus L. Sunflower Asteraceae July–August ++ ++
101 Sesamum indicum L. Sesame Pedaliaceae July–August ++ ++
102 Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. Cowpea Fabaceae July–August + +
103 Musa spp. Bananas Musaceae August–September ++
104 Oryza sativa L. Rice Poaceae August–September +
105 Schinus terebinthifolius Radd. Brazilian pepper Anacardiaceae September–October + +
106 Phaseolus vulgaris L. Bean Fabaceae September–October + +
107 Pisum sativum L. Pea Fabaceae October–January + +
108 Eucalyptus globulus Labill Eucalyptus Myrtaceae October–April + +
109 Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. Loquate Rosaceae November–December + +
110 Tecoma stans (L.) Juss.ex Kunth Trumpet flower Bignoniaceae November–December + +
++
Major source.
+
Minor source.
Not source.
Table 2
Major nectar and/or pollen floral resources in Kafrelsheikh province in 2015 and 2016.
Floral resources Metoubes Sidi Salem Fuwwah Desouk Qallin Kafrelsheikh El-Reyad Beila El-Hamool Baltim
Citrus ++ ++ ++ ++
Egyptian clover ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
Loofah ++ + + + + + + + + +
Cotton
N
++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ +
Banana
N
+ + ++ ++ + + + + + +
Faba bean ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
Flax + ++ ++ + ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
Peach ++ ++ ++
Date palm
P
++ + + + + + + + + ++
Guava ++ + + + + + + + + ++
Summer seed watermelon ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ + ++
Sunflower + ++ + + ++ ++ + + + +
Maize
P
++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++ ++
Watermelon + + + + + + + + + ++
++
Major source.
+
Minor source.
Not source.
N
Source for nectar not for pollen,
P
Source for pollen not for nectar.
4E.-K.A. Taha et al. / Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences xxx (2017) xxx–xxx
Please cite this article in press as: Taha, E.-K.A., et al. Nectar and pollen sources for honeybees in Kafrelsheikh province of northern Egypt. Saudi Journal of
Biological Sciences (2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.12.010
et al. (2013), Esmael et al. (2016) in Egypt, and Taha (2015a) in the
Al-Ahsa oasis of eastern Saudi Arabia. Kafrelsheikh is an Agricul-
tural province, that’s could explains why all of major floral
resources of nectar and/or pollen in this province were classified
as cultivated plants. There were some wild plants visited by bees,
but non of them is major source either of nectar or pollen.
Of the total 110 species were recorded as bee plants only five
species (Citrus spp., T. alexdrinum,L. aegyptiaca,Gossypium spp.,
and Musa spp.) represented 4.55% of the identified plants produced
surplus honey in Kafrelsheikh province. This percentage is higher
than that (3.30%) for bee plants in Al-Baha region (Adgaba et al.,
2017), and that (3.80%) in Al-Ahsa province (Taha, 2015a) in Saudi
Arabia, and that (1.6%) of world bee plants (Crane, 1990), while our
percentage is too low compared with that (51.44%) of Villanueva
(1989) in Iran. Beekeepers in Kafrelsheikh province usually harvest
honey yield during the blooming seasons of Citrus spp., T. alex-
drinum and Gossypium spp. (Taha, 2000, 2005), L. aegyptiaca
(Taha et al., 2006) and Musa spp. (Taha, 2007). In Saudi Arabia,
Medicago sativa L., Ziziphus spp. and Citrus spp. were the dominant
sources of nectar, while Cucurbita pepo Thunb, Ph. dactylifera L.,
Helianthus annuus L., M. sativa L. and Brassica napus L. were the
main sources of pollen in Al-Ahsa province (Taha, 2015a,b).
Besides, the major sources of nectar in Al-Baha region were Z.
spina-christi L., Acacia tortilis (Forssk) Hayne, A. asak,Lavandula den-
tata L., and Hypoestes forskaolii (Adgaba et al., 2017). In USA, 7 bee
plants non-Lamiaceae and nine Lamiaceae species were recorded
as nectar-producing plants (Widrlechner and Senechal, 1992).
Faba bean and flax were bloomed during the period from Jan-
uary to March in most parts of Kafrelshiekh province. Their flowers
were produced much pollen and nectar. The extra-floral nectaries
of faba bean were produced nectar before flowering starts and this
continues through and to the end of flowering (Kirk, 2004). Peach
was bloomed during early spring, and honeybees were collected
nectar and pollen from flowers. These plants did not produce sur-
plus honey, but they are very important for building up the colo-
nies and swarms production. Date palm was flowered during
March and April, male trees produced more pollen. It considered
an important source of pollen in Metoubes (Taha, 2005) and Baltim
regions. Summer seed watermelon was bloomed during a dearth
period between Egyptian clover and cotton flow seasons so, it
was served on maintaining the colony strength and economizing
the cost of feeding during this period (Taha and Bayomi, 2009).
Guava was bloomed from May to July and considered good source
of nectar and pollen in Metoubes and Baltim regions. Sunflower
and sesame were bloomed during July and August. They were good
sources of nctare and pollen during this period. These results are in
lin with the findings of Hussein et al. (1992) in Assiut, Taha (2000,
2005) in Kafrelshiekh, Fathy (2008) in Dakahlia, Ismail et al. (2013)
in Fayoum, Esmael et al. (2016) in Alexandria and El-Beheira
provinces.
The number of available bee plants throughout the months of
the year could be arranged in a descending order: March
and April > May > February > June > July and August > September >
October > November > December > January. Seven nectar and
pollen floral resources were bloomed during January; faba bean
and flax were the most important plants for honeybees. During
February, 34 pollen and 27 nectar floral resources were recorded;
faba bean, flax, and peach were the most beneficial plants for
honeybees in this period. Sixty-four bee forage plants were
recorded during March and April. The most important sources
during March were citrus, faba bean, date palm, peach, and flax.
Similar results were recorded by Hussein et al. (1992) in Assiut
province, and by Taha (2005) in Kafrelshiekh province. Unfortu-
nately, most of the bloomed plants in April were dried before
mid-April. Citrus was the predominant bee flora in April. These
results confirmed the findings of Taha (2005). During May, 46
nectar and pollen floral resources were recorded; Egyptian clover
was recorded as a major nectar and pollen floral resource. These
results are in agreement with those obtained by Hussein et al.
(1992) in Assiut, Esmael et al. (2016) in El-Beheira, and Taha
(2005) in Kafrelshiekh province. During June, 33 pollen and/or nec-
tar floral resources were recorded. The most abundant species
were Egyptian clover, guava, and loofah. Twenty-nine pollen and/
or nectar floral resources were recorded throughout July and
August; the most abundant species were watermelon, guava,
loofah, cotton, banana, sunflower, and maize. These results are in
harmony with those obtained by Hussein et al. (1992) in Assiut,
and Taha (2005) in Kafrelshiekh province. Twenty-two bee forage
plants were recorded during September; loofah, and maize were
the most important species. Nineteen taxa were bloomed in
October; loofah, and maize were the major sources in this period.
Although, 12 plant species flowered in November, and 10 plants
in December, it considered dearth period because all of these
plants are minor sources of nectar and/or pollen.
The most represented families were Fabaceae (15 spp.), Aster-
aceae (12 spp.), Brassicaceae and Malvaceae (7 spp.), Cucur-
bitaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae and Rutaceae (6 spp.), and
solanaceae (5 spp.). They contributed by 63.64% of total bee flora
in Kafrelshiekh province. These results are in agreement with those
obtained by Zoratti et al. (1995) in Italy, Taha (2005) and Esmael
et al. (2016) in Egypt, and Taha (2015a) and Adgaba et al. (2017)
in Saudi Arabia, they reported that the most represented families
were Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae.
Besids, the most abundant species in Nigerian honey samples were
from Asteraceae and Arecaceae (Adekanmbi and Ogundipe, 2009).
Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Myrtaceae were represented by 3 spp.
The following families: Anacardiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Euphor-
biaceae, Moraceae, and Verbenaceae each was represented by
two plant species. Moreover, 22 families (Arecaceae, Aizoaceae,
Apocynaceae, Araceae, Bignoniaceae, Boraginaceae, Cactaceae,
Casuarinaceae, Geraniaceae, Lauraceae, Linaceae, Lythraceae,
Musaceae, Myrsinaceae, Papaveraceae, Pedaliaceae, Polygonaceae,
Portulacaceae, Oleaceae, Oxalidaceae, Salicaceae, and Urticaceae)
were represented by one nectar and/or pollen floral resource.
The monthly weight of trapped pollen loads reflects the activity
of honeybee colonies in gathering pollen. Pollen collection is a
continuous prosses throughout the year. The colonies started
their activities in pollen collection during January, then significant
(P < .01) increasing occurred during February and reached the first
peak during March. Decreasing in pollen collection occurred during
April, then increased significantly (P < .01) and formed the second
and the major peak during May coincieded with the flowering
period of Egyptian clover, then significant (P < .01) decrease
occurred during June. Gradually increase occurred during July,
and formed the third peak in August, then gradually and signifi-
cantly (P < .01) decrease occurred from September to December.
Fig. 1. Seasonal fluctuation of collected bee-pollen in Kafrelsheikh province during
2015 and 2016.
E.-K.A. Taha et al. / Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences xxx (2017) xxx–xxx 5
Please cite this article in press as: Taha, E.-K.A., et al. Nectar and pollen sources for honeybees in Kafrelsheikh province of northern Egypt. Saudi Journal of
Biological Sciences (2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.12.010
These results are confirmed by the findings of Shawer (1987),
Fathy (1996), Shawer et al. (2003), Taha (2005) in Egypt, Taha
and Al-Kahtani (2017) in Saudi Arabia, and Al-Humyarie et al.
(1999) in Yemen who recorded the maximum area of stored pollen
during May. Besides, Sattigi and Lingappa (1993) found the
maximum area of stored pollen during March in India. Three peaks
of pollen collection were recorded during March, May and August
in the Al-Ahsa oasis of eastern Saudi Arabia (Taha and Al-Kahtani,
2013, 2017; Taha, 2014, 2015a). On contrary, the maximum area of
stored pollen was recorded during September in the Island of
Hawaii (Arita and Fujii, 1992). April considered a dearth period
in Kafrelsheikh province because of the shortage of pollen and
nectar floral resources, as a result of dried of most flowering plants
after a short time in April. The decline in pollen collecting during
April was recorded in Saudi Arabia (Taha, 2014, Taha and
Al-Kahtani, 2017) due to the presence of bee-eater (Merops spp.)
birds in the apiary area (Ali and Taha, 2012). The lowest amount
of collected bee-pollen was trapped during January, this may be
related to the low number of flowering plants during this period.
Similar results were obtained by Khanbash and Bin Ghodel
(1994) in Yemen, and Taha (2014, 2015a) in the Al-Ahsa oasis of
eastern Saudi Arabia.
5. Conclusion
Based on the present data, it can be concluded that beekeepers
at Kafrelsheikh province can obtain high honey yield, during the
blooming seasons of citrus (March and April), Egyptian clover
(April to June), loofah (June to October), cotton (July and August),
and banana (August and September). They can trap pollen loads
during the flowering periods of faba bean (January to March),
Egyptian clover (April to June), summer seed watermelon (June
and July), loofah (June to October), and maize (June to November).
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