Discovering Pollen

County lecture by Lesley Jacques NDB

Most people take pollen pretty much for granted – or don’t think about it at all. Unless one is a chronic hay fever sufferer, plant biologist or agriculturalist, pollen isn’t really on the radar. But for beekeepers, pollen takes on a whole new dimension. This key resource is our bees’ primary protein source, essential for colony growth and nutrition. And a little investigation of the pollen that returns to the hive and finds its way into our honey can tell us much (although not everything!) about the bees’ foraging territory as well as indicating whether the honey that we see on supermarket shelves is what it says it is. Looking down the microscope at pollen grains reveals a whole new world of intricate beauty. In this presentation, we will look at what pollen is to plants, to bees and to beekeepers, and learn some methods for examining pollen samples from plants, from honey, and what we need to consider to make a reasonable identification.

Our speaker Lesley became an accidental beekeeper after a swarm arrived in her garden in 2011. She very quickly became fascinated by the bees she was tending, and committed to learn more about them, working her way through the BBKA Module and Husbandry exams. She was awarded her Master Beekeeper qualification in 2022 and gained the NDB in 2024. Lesley is Vice Chair of Cheshire Beekeepers’ Association as well as being a founder member of Mid Cheshire Beekeepers. Lesley is an examiner for the Basic assessment and is actively engaged with the Association’s advanced and beginners’ level teaching programmes, typically providing introductions for entry-level beekeepers, tuition and mentoring for the Basic examination and structured teaching for the Module exams. As a scientist by profession, she takes a particular interest in the biology and botanical aspects of beekeeping, and in conveying this to others. Lesley lives in Cheshire with her husband Tony, and manages three apiaries with more colonies than she admits to.