Honey sample collection methods influence pollen composition in determining true nectar-foraging bee plants

ABSTRACT This study investigated the suitability of honey sample collection methods for determining the botanical origin of honey through palynological analysis. We used three methods to collect honey samples in three different modes viz. extracted honey using a honey extractor, squeezed honey and pipetted honey (collected by micropipette/dropper from honey cells only) during 2017 to 2019 in West Bengal, India. We considered two native honey bee species (Apis dorsata and Apis florea) and one introduced bee species (Apis mellifera). Pollen composition differed significantly, both quantitatively...