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Bees rely exclusively on pollen and nectar-producing plants for strengthening their colonies and production of honey. In beekeeping, dearth period management of bee colonies is the key to success. Hence, comprehensive knowledge about foraging sources for bees in dearth need to be explored. The present study was undertaken to delineate the comparative foraging preferences of three bee species viz. Apis mellifera L., Apis cerana indica F. and Tetragonula bengalensis C. during dearth in lower Gangetic of West Bengal, India based on the analyses of corbicular pollen loads. Altogether 61 plants belonging to 26 families were recognized as pollen resources for the bee species. The choice differences among three bees had also been recorded during the study. Major pollen contributing families were Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Malavceae and Poaceae. Predominant pollens chosen by the bees had been found to be of Commelina diffusa, Aeschynomene aspera, Cocos nucifera and Eucalyptus globulus. However, the categorical differentiation of pollens greatly varied amongst the corbicular loads of the bee species during the study. A diversity of habitats (herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees) and type of plants (weeds, cultivated crops, ornamentals, fruits and forest plantations) that mostly have small-sized yellow and white to creamy colours flowers were observed to be foraged by all the three bee species. The study revealed the importance of different non-cultivated plants like forest trees, weeds etc. as pollen foraging sources for the sustenance of honey bees and stingless bees during the dearth period in this region, indicating the need of adopting measures for conservation of those. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]