Reviewing the Efficacy of Pollen Substitutes as a Management Tool for Improving the Health and Productivity of Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Colonies

Abstract

Western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) collect pollen from flowers as their source of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Beekeepers feed pollen substitutes to their honey bee colonies to mitigate a lack of natural pollen resources in the environment. Despite their widespread use, it is unclear if pollen substitutes are beneficial to colony health and productivity. Herein, we review the literature regarding pollen substitute efficacy in four major categories: (1) consumption/palatability of pollen substitutes, (2) colony productivity, (3) pest and disease response, and (4) physiological response. Collectively, the literature shows a mix of positive, neutral, and negative impacts of pollen substitutes on honey bee colony health. Additionally, we recommend areas for improvement in pollen substitute research. We hope this review will lead to more research on pollen substitutes given nutrition is a key factor impacting the health of managed honey bees globally.

Metabolomics-Guided Comparison of Pollen and Microalgae-Based Artificial Diets in Honey Bees

“…Various diet formulations have been used as a substitute for natural pollen, and these often incorporate protein-rich ingredients, such as soy, corn gluten, yeast, casein, and egg, as a source of essential amino acids . However, diet comparisons suggest the existence of potentially overlooked nutritional factors or other pollen components that might improve artificial diet effectiveness (i.e., providing phytochemicals that might stimulate bee immunity or improve stress resistance). , In addition to protein content, pollen contains a variety of necessary lipids, essential fatty acids, − and a broad diversity of bee health-modulating bioactive compounds, such as vitamins and phenolic acids. , Thus, there are opportunities to enhance feed to more closely mimic the chemical composition of pollen, especially to serve the growing demands of a majority of US beekeepers who feed supplemental nutrition to their colonies . Importantly, given the challenges of feeding the world’s human population, sustainable ingredients that do not compete with human food production are good candidates to address this crucial need of modern beekeeping.…”

Effects of Two Commercial Protein Diets on the Health of Two Imago Ages of Apis mellifera L. Reared in Laboratory

“…The high feed intake recorded in forager bees fed the high-protein diet could be the result of several factors, such as the higher quality of protein in diet 3 compared to the other two diets leading to an increase of feed palatability, as previously hypothesized by Noordyke and Ellis [42]. In contrast, it may be that bees preferred the high-concentration protein diet driving from the inferior quality of the low-protein concentration diet [42]. In addition, it cannot be excluded that bees consumed a considerably higher quantity of the high-protein concentration diet than the other two diets to fulfil their nutritional needs [42].…”

“…Results obtained in this investigation show that feed intake was significantly higher in forager bees fed with the high-protein diet (diet 3; 7.7% crude protein content) than other diet groups, while no differences were recorded between diet groups in newly emerged bees. The high feed intake recorded in forager bees fed the high-protein diet could be the result of several factors, such as the higher quality of protein in diet 3 compared to the other two diets leading to an increase of feed palatability, as previously hypothesized by Noordyke and Ellis [42]. In contrast, it may be that bees preferred the high-concentration protein diet driving from the inferior quality of the low-protein concentration diet [42].…”

“…In contrast, it may be that bees preferred the high-concentration protein diet driving from the inferior quality of the low-protein concentration diet [42]. In addition, it cannot be excluded that bees consumed a considerably higher quantity of the high-protein concentration diet than the other two diets to fulfil their nutritional needs [42]. The protein requirement is high in newly emerged bees until 10 days of imaginal life for hypopharyngeal gland development, and after this period bees are no longer able to metabolize high amounts of proteins [43].…”

Uses and benefits of algae as a nutritional supplement for honey bees

“…Managed bee colonies require constant human inputs in the form of disease control and supplemental nutrition. Artificial diets and feed supplements from a variety of plant and animal products show mixed results in their capacity to support colony growth and productivity (Noordyke and Ellis, 2021;Paray et al, 2021;Tsuruda et al, 2021). The current research focused on artificial diets indicates that there are opportunities for improving bee feed to serve the growing demands of beekeepers who have become increasingly reliant on supplemental nutrition (Ricigliano et al, 2022b).…”