Skip to main content
Entomology 2023 Main banner
Bayer
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
In-Person
In-Person
On-Demand
On-Demand
Student Competition
Student Competition
Poster
Poster
Ticketed Event
Ticketed Event
Back
ViewAttendees 3

Section Symposium

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Science Policy

When Life Gives You Lemons: Environmental Change & Pollinator Nutrition Research Influencing Policy

Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow) and its contribution to Apis mellifera nutrition

Sunday, November 5, 2023
8:37 AM – 8:53 AM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Chesapeake G-H
In-Person
Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow, henceforth tallow) is a tree native to eastern Asia. It is an introduced species to the USA, and other parts of the world, and is highly invasive. Tallow is a well-known nectar producing plant by beekeepers managing Apis mellifera (henceforth honey bee); however, the role of tallow pollen to honey bee nutrition is not known. To address this knowledge gap, corbicular pollen and unripened honey (honey from uncapped cells) was collected from colonies at multiple locations in southern and central Alabama and Mississippi. At weekly intervals during the tallow bloom in late spring 2022, corbicular pollen was collected through colony entrance pollen traps that were activated for 48 hours; unripened honey was collected from uncapped wax cells. Preliminary data demonstrated pollen and nectar foraging by honey bees. Additionally, lab analyses revealed that tallow pollen is high in protein, but low in lipids. The data demonstrates that tallow plants, especially in southern locations, likely provide an important contribution to the nutrition of honey bees during late spring.