A key issue for me, Kim, as explained in my initial post is whether pollen analysis is an expert's enterprise alone, something too complex for your average beekeeper to do in an accurate/meaningful way.  I have a quality phase contrast compound microscope, centrifuge and other relevant gear, and I can make a pollen library of my local floral species.  Even without a BSc or better in biology should I be able to identify major floral sources for my honey?  I'm not talking about trying to ID adulterated honey. Do we promote pollen ID in our beekeeping community as in the UK or not? Cost-benefit?

Vaugh Bryant's November 2018 article in BEE CULTURE says more or less that pollen analysis is an expert's enterprise: "Learning to analyze the pollen trapped in honey requires a broad understanding of botany and bee biology....Being able to analyze the pollen contents of honey samples requires a 'long learning curve!' This is not to say that it is impossible for a beekeeper to learn how to do this, but most of them do not have the needed scientific background, the equipment to do the extraction process, or the pollen reference collections needed to help them identify the potential thousands of pollen types they might find in their samples" (pp.42-43).

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