Comparative Study of the Effect of Pollen Substitute Diets on Honey Bees during Early Spring

Abstract

The nutritional quality of a colony significantly affects its health and strength, particularly because it is required for population growth in the early spring. We investigated the impact of various artificial pollen substitute diets on colony performance in the Republic of Korea during early spring, a critical period for colony health and growth. The colonies were provided with different diets, including the commercial product Megabee (positive control), our developed diet Test A, and four upgraded versions (Diet 1, Diet 2, Diet 3, and Diet 4) of Test A. The negative control group received no supplementary feed. Over 63 days, we observed 24 experimental colonies and assessed various parameters at the colony and individual levels. The results revealed that Diet 2 had the highest consumption and had the most positive impact on population growth, the capped brood area, colony weight, honey bees’ weight, and vitellogenin levels. These findings suggested that Diet 2 is most attractive to honey bees and thus holds great promise for improving colony maintenance and development during the crucial early spring period.

Changes in Vitellogenin, Abdominal Lipid Content, and Hypopharyngeal Gland Development in Honey Bees Fed Diets with Different Protein Sources

“…The experimental results presented in this study provide valuable information on the response of colonies (consumption) and individual honey bees (Vg, HPG, and ALC) to different pollen substitute feeds. Consumption is an important indicator for understanding the quality and effects of a diet and can be influenced by several characteristics (colony and diet) [33]. Our results showed that the pollen substitute diet prepared with fresh pollen and spirulina was consumed to a higher extent by the bees during the experimental period.…”

“…In the determination of the pH values, 2 g of the diet samples was dissolved in 15 mL of distilled water and measured after a waiting period of 24 h [33,34]. The nutrient content of the diets is given in Table 3.…”

“…To minimize the loss of water from the diet, a hole was drilled in the bottom of the bag for the bees to pass through. Diet consumption was determined once per week for a total of 16 weeks and calculated using the following equation: consumption per period = initial diet weight (500 g)-final diet weight [33]. The bees had access to natural resources (pollen, water, nectar, propolis) ad libitum.…”

“…Thus, a total of 60 adult worker bees per colony were used on the same date. The dry weight was determined after the heads were held for 24 h in a 60 • C oven [33]. The dry weight was calculated using the formula described below [37]:…”

Enhancing Honey Bee Health: Evaluating Pollen Substitute Diets in Field and Cage Experiments

“…The detailed components and concentrations of each diet are listed in Table 1. Diet 2 and Diet 3 were selected based on their positive colony performance in our previous study [26]. Diet 1 was a blend of ingredients aimed at enhancing the functions of Diet 2 and Diet 3.…”