Increased pollen is good news for bees, bad news for allergy sufferers

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - Even with the cooler than normal temperatures the spring pollen season is underway.

Over at Gilcrease Orchards, the bees are pollenating flowers and collecting nectar to take back to their hives.

That means allergy season has started.

With the rain we’ve had so far this year this could be a tough allergy season, according to Dr. Rick Vinuya with OptumCare.

“When we have more rain we expect more pollen, with increased pollen there is a potential for exposure for allergy sufferers,” he said.

Those with allergies are probably already experiencing symptoms including a runny or stuffy nose and/or itchy, watery eyes.

Dr. Vinuya says it’s important to not ignore allergy symptoms because they could get worse over time.

“If you have allergies you are two to three times more likely to develop asthma,” he said.

Treating allergies includes avoiding going outside in the early mornings when pollen counts are the highest to over the counter meds to allergy shots.

As for the bees already pollenating fruit trees, it’s a sign of what could be a good year for local growers.

Once the fruit trees stop flowering the bees will then move on to plants such as sunflowers, zucchinis and squash according to Mark Ruben with Gilcrease Orchards.

His 22 bee hives will each generate about 100 pounds of honey.

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