Comparison of Pollen Spectra and Amount of Mineral Content in Honey Produced by Apis florea F. and Apis mellifera L.

Honey produced by the wild honey bee species Apis florea contains significantly higher levels of several key minerals, including ash, potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn), compared to honey from domesticated subspecies like A. mellifera carnica and A. m. jemenitica, sourced from the same botanical origin, Ziziphus spp. in Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia. This suggests a correlation between bee species and mineral content in honey. The study also revealed that Combretaceae was the dominant pollen source across all bee species, accounting for 51-63% of total pollen. Conducted during the sidir flow season at King Faisal University's apiary, this research highlights the potential influence of bee species on honey composition, which could have implications for both apiculture and the preservation of indigenous bee populations in UNESCO-listed cultural landscapes like Al-Ahsa Oasis.

Taha, E.-K. A., Al-Kahtani, S., & Taha, R. (2018). Comparison of Pollen Spectra and Amount of Mineral Content in Honey Produced by Apis florea F. and Apis mellifera L. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 91(1), 51. https://doi.org/10.2317/0022-8567-91.1.51