Abstract Honey is increasingly being used as a food supplement and to treat various diseases and disorders in Ghana. Information on floral nectar preferences of foraging honeybees is, therefore, imperative to increase production to keep pace with demand. However, in Ghana, these floral nectar preferences are yet to be investigated and identified. This study was conducted to determine bee forage sources in the three main agro-ecological honey-producing zones of Ghana. Forty-eight unblended honey samples sourced from beekeepers were analysed. Pollen spectra of the honey samples revealed 27 different pollen types of which eight were identified to family level, while 15 and four were at the level of genus and species, respectively. The results also showed that, in general, 48% of the analysed samples were unifloral honeys with the most important pollen types coming from Sapotaceae/Meliaceae, Anacardiaceae and Burkea africana. Combretaceae, Sapotaceae/Meliaceae and Anacardiaceae, as well as Lannea-type and Burkea africana were found to be the most frequent (with occurrence greater than 50%) sources of nectar utilised by bees to produce honey. The predominant pollen sources of the honeys in the three main apicultural zones of the country were Sapotaceae/Meliaceae and Anacardiaceae (Forest zone), Sapotaceae/Meliaceae and Lannea-type (Savannah–Forest transition zone) and Sapotaceae/Meliaceae, Anacardiaceae and Gynandropsis gynandra (Savannah zones). Identification of the major bee floral sources can be used as a guide by beekeepers in the location of their apiaries as well as reforesting disturbed sites with these plants to act as sources of bee forage.

中文翻译：

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蜜蜂为加纳蜂蜜生产而采食的主要植物：蜜蜂花卉来源地图，促进养蜂业的发展

摘要 在加纳，蜂蜜越来越多地被用作食品补充剂和治疗各种疾病和紊乱。因此，有关觅食蜜蜂对花蜜偏好的信息对于增加产量以跟上需求至关重要。然而，在加纳，这些花蜜偏好还有待调查和确定。本研究旨在确定加纳三个主要农业生态蜂蜜产区的蜜蜂饲料来源。分析了来自养蜂人的 48 份未混合蜂蜜样品。蜂蜜样品的花粉光谱揭示了 27 种不同的花粉类型，其中 8 种属于科水平，15 种和 4 种分别属于属和种水平。结果还表明，总的来说，48% 的分析样品是单花蜂蜜，最重要的花粉类型来自山芋科/楝科、漆树科和非洲伯克花。发现 Combretaceae、Sapotaceae/Meliaceae 和 Anacardiaceae 以及 Lannea 型和 Burkea Africana 是蜜蜂用来生产蜂蜜的最常见（发生率超过 50%）的花蜜来源。该国三个主要养蜂区蜂蜜的主要花粉来源为山竹科/楝科和漆树科（森林区）、山竹科/楝科和兰尼亚型（萨凡纳-森林过渡区）和山竹科/楝科、漆树科和绞股蓝（萨凡纳地区）。