Refractometric nectar analysis

Knowledge graph centered on Refractometric nectar analysis with 72 nodes and 247 connections. Top connected: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Gothic, Two-form Bumble Bee, Bumble Bees, Yellow-fronted Bumble Bee.

Method synopsis

A field-based protocol for extracting nectar from flowers that have been exposed to bee visitation, then quantifying ethanol content using enzyme-based assays. Flowers are pre-isolated to prevent nectar depletion before sampling.

Synthesized from method descriptions across 25 papers using this protocol.

Procedure from a recent peer-reviewed implementation

Steps below were extracted from the most recent peer-reviewed implementation of this protocol in the corpus — Competition for nectar resources does not affect bee foraging tactic constancy (2020), Ecological Entomology. The protocol was originally introduced by Quantifying ethanol in bumble bee honey and Colorado rocky mountain wildflowers (2025). Implementations in other papers (listed below) may differ.

1. Measure nectar standing crop
   Used microcapillary tubes to measure nectar volume per flower. Measured nectar standing crop on same day of observation and at same time of day as bee observations. Calculated total nectar volume per flower (median range 4-21 plants per observation period) and flowers measured per observation (range 19-212 flowers).
   Quantities: 4-21 plants per observation period, 19-212 flowers measured per observation period, median 7 flowers per plantDuration: Measured on same day and time as bee observationsConditions: Same environmental conditions as bee observation periods
   Equipment: microcapillary tubes

Typical Equipment

• bags for flower isolation
• 10 μL microcapillary pipettes
• 0.6 mL microcentrifuge tubes
• qPCR-grade water
• parafilm
• freezer at -80°C
• balance for weighing
• handheld refractometer
• enzyme-based ethanol assay kit
• 96-well plates
• plate reader

Output Measurements

• nectar ethanol concentration
• total sugar concentration
• nectar mass

Papers Using This Protocol (25)

Species Studied With This Protocol

Places Where Used