The Significance of Palynological Analysis of Stingless Bee Products Containing Plant Resins

Pollen, bees, and resins are closely linked. Products containing resins made by stinging and stingless bees comprise the sequence of product complexity cerumen, propolis, geopropolis, and batumen. Resins are generally obtained from natural exudates of plants. Physicochemical properties give different colors and consistencies to resins depending upon the plant species. For geopropolis, only stingless bees may add soil or clay to propolis. The transfer of pollen grains from flower anthers to resins can be done in several ways, by air, rarely by water, and commonly by the bee itself. Humid biomes such as the Atlantic Forest in Brazil provide pollen grains from trees, frequently pioneer or secondary growth species, all over the year. In drier biomes such as the Cerrado, the Caatinga, and semidesert areas, which are characterized by trees and shrubs resistant to long periods of drought and the near absence of grasses and herbaceous vegetation, resin is not always available to bees. Knowledge from palynological analysis of resin carried by bees can help beekeepers to help colonies by locating nests near resin sources.