The value of poplar for bees

Poplar can often be found in forests and forest plantations, which is often used for protective afforestation purposes. Therefore, it is reasonable to find out how useful poplar is for bees. Let's consider the benefits of poplar for beekeeping. Read to the end, it will be interesting and useful.

Content

• General description of poplar
• Why poplar is interesting and useful for beekeeping
• The importance of poplar for bees as a pollen carrier
• The value of poplar for bees as a source of propolis
• The value of poplar for bees as a source of honey

 

General description of poplar

 

Poplar for beekeeping Poplar - Populus L. Belongs to the willow family (Salicaceae). Different types of poplar are quite widespread in parks and protective forest plantations. Poplar has a very fast growth rate, which is why energy plantations are created from poplar. Some types of poplar have phytoncidal properties. Poplars are widely used for landscaping poplars, as they are highly resistant to air pollution and smoke, and clean the air well from dust.

The most common are silver poplar (P. alba L.), black poplar (P. nigra L.), balsam poplar (P. balsamifera L.) and laurel poplar (P. laurifolia Ledeb.). Plants are dioecious. The seeds ripen in June and are carried by the wind over long distances.

Poplar has light wood that is used to make beehives, frames and other products.

Why poplar is interesting and useful for beekeeping

Poplar is not a honey plant and it would seem that poplars should not be of interest for beekeeping, but this is not so.

Poplar is important for bees as a pollen carrier, a source of collecting honeydew honey, and especially as a source of collecting sticky substance from the buds. So poplar is important for bees.

 

The importance of poplar for bees as a pollen carrier

 

Different types of poplar bloom at different times. Some poplar species bloom early, before the leaves appear. The anthers are red in color and secrete a lot of pollen, which bees collect to produce beebread. However, the importance of poplar pollen for bees is not as great as that of hazel or alder, the first pollen bearers, as well as willow, which blooms at the same time and, in addition to pollen, provides nectar to bees.

The value of poplar for bees as a source of propolis

The buds of poplars (especially black, laurel, and balsam) have a shiny, continuous resinous coating, are sticky, and fragrant. The sticky substance is collected by bees to make propolis. Thus, poplar occupies one of the leading places among deciduous trees - birch, aspen, alder, willow, horse chestnut, elm, oak, ash, plum, cherry in Europe, from which bees collect sticky substances.

The value of poplar for bees as a source of honey

Poplar for bees (silver, black and other types) in some years in some zones provide a good honeydew, which usually occurs between May 20 and June 10. In recent years, with the increase in droughts, the release of honeydew occurs more often, which can have both a negative effect on apiaries and a positive one; if there is no flower honey collection, then honeydew honey collection can be organized.