Nature on our doorsteps: Pollen power

The recent spell of unseasonable warm weather encouraged many bumblebee queens out of hibernation.

On first waking, a queen must seek out nectar to replace the energy she used while hibernating.

Then she gets on with finding a nest site and starting her new colony.

In early spring, queens can be seen searching low over the ground or under a hedge, looking for an abandoned mouse burrow, or a cool cavity under a stone or between tree roots.

Once she finds the right spot, she begins to build up a store of food for herself in the form of a big lump, or ‘loaf’, of pollen.

Because she will not leave the nest again once her eggs hatch, this pollen store must keep her and her new brood alive until the first generation of workers are mature enough to collect new nectar and pollen.

This bumblebee queen is busy collecting Willow pollen to make her ‘pollen loaf’

Pollen is an incredibly rich natural food.  It contains sugar, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

It is also said to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.

Bumblebee larvae that are destined to be next season’s queens are fed extra pollen, making them grow big and sturdy.

The nutritional characteristics of pollen also makes it a potential super-food for humans too, although it could be said that the bees need it much more than we do!