The Potential Effects of Supplemental Feeding on Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 1, 1 - 7, 30.06.2025

İbrahim Şahin

Öz

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) play a crucial role in the ecological chain as producers of valuable substances such as honey, pollen, royal jelly, bee venom, and propolis, and as one of the most important pollinators of wild plants and various agricultural crops. Like all living organisms, honey bees are adversely affected by global climate change, which threatens their survival, reproduction, and natural habitats. Honey bees obtain their nutrition by collecting nectar and pollen from plants in the wild. However, numerous adverse environmental factors are increasingly leading to a reduction—even the extinction—of these vital plant sources. The decline in access to natural food sources brings about a range of problems for honey bees. In response, researchers have been investigating alternative feed supplements to support bee colonies during periods when natural forage is insufficient, ensuring the development of colonies and the effective performance of bees. This study aims to present the effects of different nutritional sources on honey bees through a review of the existing literature.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Honey Bee , Supplemental , Feeding , Pollen , Protein , Sucrose

Kaynakça

• [1] Aizen, M. A., & Harder, L. D. (2009). Geographic variation in the growth of domesticated honey-bee stocks: Disease or economics? Communicative and Integrative Biology, 2(6), 464-466
• [2] Al-Esawy, M. T. (2023). Honey bee immunity and physiology are enhanced by consuming high-fat diets. Journal of Plant Protection Research, 185-195. -14
• [3] Al-Ghamdi, A. A., Abou-Shaara, H. F., & Ansari, M. J. (2021). Effects of sugar feeding supplemented with three plant extracts on some parameters of honey bee colonies. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 28(4), 2076-2082. -24
• [4] Ahmad, S.K., Ali, A., Anwar, P.T., Dawah, H.A. (2023). An overview of artificial nutrition in apiculture. Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences, 11(6), 884 – 918.
• [5] Brodschneider, R., & Crailsheim, K. (2010). Nutrition and health in honey bees. Apidologie, 41(3), 278-294.
• [6] Calderone, N. W. (2012). Insect pollinated crops, insect pollinators and US agriculture: trend analysis of aggregate data for the period 1992 – 2009. PLoS ONE, 7, e37235. DOI:10.1371/ journal. pone.0037235
• [7] Crailsheim K., Schneider L.H.W., Hrassnigg N., Bühlmann G., Brosch U., Gmeinbauer R., Schöffmann B. (1992) Pollen consumption and utilization in worker honeybees (Apis mellifera carnica): dependence on individual age and function, Journal of insect Physiology. 38, 409–419.
• [8] Crailsheim K. (1986) Dependence of protein metabolism on age and season in the honeybee (Apis mellifica carnica Pollm), Journal of insect Physiology. 32, 629–634.
• [9] Cremonez T.M., de Jong D., Bitondi M.M.G. (1998) Quantification of hemolymph proteins as a fast method for testing protein diets for honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae), Journal of economic entomology. 91, 1284–1289
• [10] De Groot A.P. (1953) Protein and amino acid requirements of the honeybee (Apis mellifica L.), Physiol. Comp. Oecol. 3, 197–285.
• [11] De Jong D., da Silva E.J., Kevan P.G., Atkinson J.L. (2009) Pollen substitutes increase honey bee haemolymph protein levels as much as or more than does pollen, Journal of Apicultural Research. 48, 34–37.
• [12] García-Vicente, E. J., Martín, M., Rey-Casero, I., Pérez, A., Martín, J., García, A., ... & Risco, D. (2024). Effects of feeding with a protein liquid supplement on productivity, mortality and health of Apis mellifera hives in southwestern Spain. Research in Veterinary Science, 169, 105173. -40
• [13] Grossman, E. (2013). Declining bee populations pose a threat to global agriculture. Yale Environment, 360. Retrieved from https://e360.yale.edu/features/declining_bee_populations_pose_a_t hreat_to_global_agriculture
• [14] Güneşdoğdu, M., Sarıoğlu-Bozkurt, A., Şekeroğlu, A., & Abacı, S. H. (2024). Changes in vitellogenin, abdominal lipid content, and hypopharyngeal gland development in honey bees fed diets with different protein sources. Insects, 15(4), 215. -10
• [15] García-Vicente, E. J., Martín, M., Rey-Casero, I., Pérez, A., Martínez, R., Bravo, M., ... & Risco, D. (2023). Effect of feed supplementation with probiotics and postbiotics on strength and health status of honey bee (Apis mellifera) hives during late spring. Research in Veterinary Science, 159, 237-243.-28
• [16] Huang, Z., 2012. Pollen nutrition affects honey bee stress resistance. Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews. 5, 175–189.
• [17] Hrassnigg N., Crailsheim K. (2005) Differences in drone and worker physiology in honeybees (Apis mellifera L.), Apidologie 36, 255–277.
• [18] Hasan, A., Qazi, J. I., Tabssum, F., & Hussain, A. (2023). Development, gut health, and longevity of European bee on the provision of biosugar syrup. Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 47, 102532.-32
• [19] Höcherl, N., Siede, R., Illies, I., Gätschenberger, H., & Tautz, J. (2012). Evaluation of the nutritive value of maize for honey bees. Journal of İnsect Physiology, 58(2), 278-285.-37
• [20] Kunert K., Crailsheim K. (1988) Seasonal changes in carbohydrate, lipid and protein content in emerging worker honeybees and their mortality, Journal of Apicultural Research. 27, 13–21.
• [21] Kratz, M., Manning, R., Dods, K., Baer, B., & Blache, D. (2024). Nurse bees regulate the larval nutrition of developing workers (Apis mellifera) when feeding on various pollen types. Journal of Economic Entomology, 117(3), 683-695.-20
• [22] Marcelino, J., Braese, C., Christmon, K., Evans, J.D., Gilligan, T.,et al. (2022). The movement of western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) among us states and territories: history, benefits, risks, and mitigation strategies. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 850600.
• [23] Morse, R. A., & Calderone, N. W. (2000). The value of honey bees as pollinators of US crops in 2000. Bee Culture, 128(3), 1-15.
• [24] Manaswi, A., Noordyke, E., Prouty, C., & Ellis, J. D. (2023). Western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) attraction to commercial pollen substitutes and wildflower pollen in vitro. Journal of Applied Entomology, 147(3), 244-247. -12
• [25] Naz, S., Malik, M. F., Hussain, M., Iqbal, R., & Afsheen, S. (2022). To check the socio- economic importance of honey bee for developing countries in current financial crisis. Pure and Applied Biology, 11(3), 851-860. http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/ bspab.2022.110087
• [26] Salehpor, F., Ghafari, M., Rahimi, A., & Mokhbar, M. (2024). Effect of vitamins thiamine and riboflavin on population growth, functional traits, and body fat and protein reserves in Iranian honey bee (Apis mellifera meda) colonies. Animal Production Research, 13(2), 87-98. -4
• [27] Sagona, S., Coppola, F., Tafi, E., Orlando, C., D’Onofrio, C., Boni, C. B., ... & Felicioli, A. (2023). Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil-Enriched Diet on Immune and Antioxidant Enzymatic Activity, Fat and Vitellogenin Contents in Newly Emerged and Forager Bees (Apis mellifera L.) Reared in Cages. Insects, 14(11), 856.-8
• [28] Oskay, D. (2017). Bal arısı ek beslemesinde sorunlar ve çözüm önerileri. Arıcılık Araştırma Dergisi, 9(1), 1-8.
• [29] Thompson, K., & Drew, B. T. (2022). Supplemental feeds and foraged corn grain dust: a comparison of the number of days survived in vitro by young adult honey bees (Apis mellifera). Journal of Apicultural Research, 61(1), 1-8. -19
• [30] Wakagri, M., & Ygezu, G. (2021). Honeybee production constraints and important management practices of these challenges. Cogent Food and Agriculture, 7(1), 1872192. DOI:10.1080/23311932.2021.1872192