One of the first things I will do when I harvest my first crop of honey is to send a sample off to Dr. Vaughn Bryant at Texas A&M for a pollen analysis. The last I checked, for $50, he will tell you all the different pollens in your honey and at what percentage they exist. This can give you a good idea of what flora your bees are visiting. In my opinion, the more plant diversity available to your bees, the better your honey tastes.
Dr. Bryant is also being asked to determine the point of origin of honey from imports using pollen markers. In particular, China is flooding honey into U.S. markets, and let’s just say what you get isn’t always pure honey.
Urban Beekeeping in Austin, Texas 