It's that time of the year again. Everyone is sneezing, our eyes are watering, and all of us are blaming pollen for our problems.

This year is no different from past years. Our cars and everything else outside is covered with yellow pollen. It does not do any good at all to wash our vehicles. They will be covered with pollen again before we can get them dried off. Even our driveways, sidewalks, and gutters are covered with yellow pollen.

Even though it is easy to see pollen from some plants, the pollen we can see is not the kind of pollen that is to be blamed for most of our discomfort and misery. Virtually all of the yellow pollen that is visible comes from the many pine trees that fill our landscape, both in towns and throughout the countryside.

The chemical composition of pine pollen appears to make it less allergenic than other types. Pine pollen is visible, because it is so heavy. It tends to fall straight down and does not scatter easily in the wind. Therefore, it rarely reaches human noses.

Almost all green plants produce pollen at some time during the year, but spring is by far the time when most of the pollen is produced. This pollen "season" can last for as much as six to eight weeks, since all plants do not develop at the same time.

Weeds are the most prolific producers of pollen. Ragweed is most often the culprit in making people sneeze and making their eyes water.

Here in Robeson County, broadleaf trees are probably the blame for most of our sneezing and watery eye problems at this time of the year. These are the trees that are just now beginning to put out new leaves. The most common broadleaf trees in our area are oaks, ash, elm, maple, gums, hickory, and pecan. All of these contribute to the pool of allergy-inducing pollen.

These plants manufacture small, light, dry pollen granules that are custom-made for wind transport. Samples of ragweed pollen have been collected 400 miles out at sea and 2 miles high in the air. Because airborne pollen is carried for long distances, it does not do any good to rid an area of offending plants. Even if all trees or weeds are removed from around your house, pollen can drift in from many miles away. In addition, most allergenic pollen comes from plants that produce it in huge quantities. A single ragweed plant, for example, can generate more than one million grains of pollen in a single day.

The blooming, showy, flowers - such as daffodils, crocus, and forsythia - that accompany the onset of spring signal the beginning of pollen season. But pollen from these showy flowers is large, heavy, waxy pollen grains that are not carried by wind but by insects, such as butterflies and bees. Because of this pollen from these plants rarely reach human noses and, therefore, are not very often the culprit of pollen allergies.

The amount of pollen varies widely within local areas and among geographic regions. Weather conditions have a major impact on pollen season. A rainy spring or late spring frost that kills flowers often reduces the amount of pollen in the atmosphere. The amount of pollen in the atmosphere tends to be highest early in the morning on warm, dry, breezy days and lowest during chilly, wet periods.

A question that is frequently asked is "what can I do to get rid of all the pollen around my house?" The answer is "nothing." Pollen from plants is a natural occurrence, so there is nothing we can do to stop it. Staying indoors, especially when the pollen count is high, may reduce some discomfort but probably will not eliminate it. There simply is no easy way to evade wind-borne pollen.

Those with severe allergies to pollen may have to resort to prescription or over-the-counter medications to help them better deal with their problems. Sometimes, the side effects from these medications is almost as bad as having to deal with the pollen itself. You can fuss all you want to because of the yellow pollen from the pine trees that is everywhere. It is unsightly, messy, and annoying. But most likely it is not the cause of your runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes. The pollen that is causing your problems is most likely the pollen you cannot see.

Just be patient and do the best you can. Just like hot weather and Japanese beetles, the severe pollen season will not last but a few weeks.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 10/13/05