## 3 Results
### Field Observations  
Much of the knowledge on MF in Mexico has been generated through the observational method, and multiple observational studies have been published to record the MF used by both wild bees and honeybees (Table 1) [4; 18; 19; 21]. However, part of this knowledge has been passed mainly by word of mouth from generation to generation among the different communities and ethnic groups present in Mexico. This knowledge involves not only the recognition of MF but also the close relationship between the flowering periods and the dry and rainy seasons, which interact in the bekeeping cycles (harvest, post-harvest, and pre-harvest). For this reason, the research in [18] is extremely relevant because it promotes the inclusion and verification of this knowledge using more specific techniques such as palynological analysis, thus promoting multidisciplinary analyses to help professionals in the field make better use of natural resources. Methodologies generally involve the observation and recording of MF species visited by bees in the different seasons of the bekeeping cycle that bees use to obtain resources such as nectar, pollen, resins, and plant exudates. To implement this method, it is necessary to distribute four observation plots of 100 m each, using the apiary or the nest as a central point to record species with mellifera interest within these plots [4; 18; 19; 21; 22]. However, this method should be used as a prospective technique because the area of influence of a hive or a nest is usually extensive and can be measured in kilometers. Thus, many of the resources used by bees may not be present in the area designated for observation. On the other hand, it should be considered that not all bees perching on flowers do so to obtain a resource [22]. Despite these limitations, studies based on observations have yielded significant implications and successes. It was demonstrated that both honeybees and native bees forage an average of 90 to 700 species of MF, establishing that bees prefer plant species of the Asteraceae and Fabaceae families, as well as Myrtaceae, Rutaceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae. In addition, this type of study applied to native bees made it possible to establish the foraging schedules and hive entrances of different products such as nectar, pollen, resin, and mud, starting around 5:00 a.m. with the introduction of pollen, decreasing around 10:00 a.m., and then continuing with the introduction of nectar given that its collection is reliant on the concentration of sugars, which changes as the day progresses [19; 23]. In the specific case of honeybees (_Apis mellifera_), observations of foraging activity in different states of the republic (San Luis Potosi, Estado de Mexico, Morelos, Yucatin,Veracruz, Yucatan, Michoacan, Guerrero, Chiapas, and Tamaulipas) (Table 1) revealed an average of 200 to 250 species of plants visited. Once again, species of the Asteraceae (_Taraxacum officinala, Biden's_ sp. Tithonia diversifolia) and Fabaceae (_Lonchocarpus long stylus, Piscidia piscipula, Prosopis laevis_) families were the most commonly used to collect nectar, pollen, and nectar-pollen. Species of the Asteraceae family are the most commonly consumed, and, in general, the beekeeping zones offer an average of 20% nectar and 10% pollen, while the supply of nectar-pollen-producing plants is 70% (Figure 1) [4; 24; 25; 26]. With the establishment of MF species used among bees as well as the flowering periods, for purposes of national economic interest, observational studies have regionalized the country into beekeeping zones divided by the types of honey produced according to the MF of the site, ultimately defining five regions (Figure 2) [27; 28]. Recording of Hive Weights  
In some cases, once the observational studies are carried out, the weights of the hives before and after the flowering periods, as well as the volume of nectar emitted by the flowers, are recorded.