![]() ![]() Herein, we use the term pollen substitute because the majority of the diets used by beekeepers do not contain natural pollen, given pollen is expensive and can spread disease ( Saffari et al., 2010a). These diets are called pollen substitutes when they contain no natural pollen, or pollen supplements when they contain some natural pollen ( Standifer et al., 1977 Saffari et al., 2010a). Consequently, beekeepers must find solutions that can be used to address pollen deficiencies in their colonies.īeekeepers often use artificial diets to replace the protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals lost when natural pollen is not available or of sufficient quality ( Somerville, 2005 Mortensen et al., 2019). Colonies also may experience adverse weather conditions, like extended periods of cold or rain, that may prevent their bees from foraging for the pollen that they need ( Mattila and Otis, 2006a). Additionally, beekeepers regularly manage colonies in the face of seasonal pollen dearth, when pollen is not available to bees in adequate quantity or quality. However, these crops often do not provide a high-quality pollen and may impact pollen diversity in the area overall if the crop is grown across many hectares ( Decourtye et al., 2010 Topitzhofer et al., 2019). Second, beekeepers often place commercial colonies on monocultures to provide pollination services for the target crop ( Smart et al., 2019 Topitzhofer et al., 2019). Increases in commodity crop cultivation, notably corn and soybean, have been linked to nutritional stress in managed honey bees because these crops are poor sources of pollen and nectar ( Dolezal et al., 2016 Smart et al., 2019). First, land-use change is a major driver of lack of pollen forage for bees ( Otto et al., 2016). It can be difficult for beekeepers to locate good pollen resources for their colonies. For example, quality pollen improves the ability of bees to combat stressors such as pests and pathogens ( Rinderer et al., 1974 Alaux et al., 2010 Di Pasquale et al., 2013 Dolezal and Toth, 2018 Dolezal et al., 2019) and pesticides ( Schmehl et al., 2014). Pollen needs to be available both in adequate quantity and quality to enhance honey bee colony health ( Brodschneider and Crailsheim, 2010). They convert pollen to bee bread which provides the protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals that immature bees need to grow and develop ( Brodschneider and Crailsheim, 2010). They convert nectar into honey, which provides carbohydrates for energy ( Brodschneider and Crailsheim, 2010). hereafter “honey bee”) require nectar and pollen from flowers for a complete diet. 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. ![]() Additionally, we recommend areas for improvement in pollen substitute research. Collectively, the literature shows a mix of positive, neutral, and negative impacts of pollen substitutes on honey bee colony health. ![]() 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. Despite their widespread use, it is unclear if pollen substitutes are beneficial to colony health and productivity. Beekeepers feed pollen substitutes to their honey bee colonies to mitigate a lack of natural pollen resources in the environment. Western honey bees ( Apis mellifera L.) collect pollen from flowers as their source of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |