Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Applied Scientific Higher Education of Jihad e-Agriculture, 8168116676, Isfahan, Iran

2 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

In order to evaluate eight different protein sources in honey bee nutrition, some experiments were conducted as a completely randomized designs with four replicates and three steps incubator, field and overwintering in Isfahan region. Protein sources were lentil flour, soybean flour, soybean meal, bread yeast, wheat gluten, skim milk powder, fish meal and Pollen. Results showed that the longevity of caged honey bees in incubator was significantly affected by dietary treatments (P<0.05). Wheat gluten supplement and lentil substitute resulted in the highest (61 days) and lowest (9.2 days) longevity of bees in 50% mortality, respectively; while in 100% morality pollen and lentil substitutes caused the highest (143.5 days) and lowest (20.7 days) longevity of bees, respectively. Field experiments showed a significant difference between feed intake in experimental colonies. Honey bees consumed the most amounts of pollen cakes, while bread yeast and soybean cakes were consumed more than soybean meal and wheat gluten; however, fish meal cakes were not accepted by bees. Brood area of experimental colonies was significantly different and varied from 13050 to 22680 cm2. Honey production in test colonies was also significantly (P<0.05) different and varied from 5.98 to 9.56 kg. After 90 days of overwintering the experimental colonies fed with pollen supplement and substitute cakes showed a significant (P<0.05) difference in honey consumption, total bee mass reduction and laying area of queens. Dietary inclusion of pollen and wheat gluten supplements caused the lowest bee mass reduction, and respective colonies had the greatest laying area at the end of winter. Overall, the present results showed that soybean flour and bread yeast can be used as pollen supplements and substitutes cakes

Keywords

AOAC International. (2002). Official Methods of Analysis (17th ed.). Association of Official Analytical Chemists International, Arlington, VA.
Crailsheim, K. (1990). The protein balance of the honey bee worker Apidologie 21: 417-430.
Crailsheim, K., Schneider, L.H.W., Hrassnigg, N., Bühlmann, G., Brosch, U., Gmeinbauer, R., and Sch ِ ◌ffmann, 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.
Degroot, A.P. (1953). Protein and amino acid requirements of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.). Physiologia Comparata et ďEcogia 3:195-285.
Doull, K.M. (1974). Effects of attractants and phagostimulants in pollen and pollen supplement on the feeding behavior of honey bees in the hive. Journal of Apicultural Research, 13: 47-54.
Doull, K.M. (1980a). Relationships between consumption of pollen supplement honey production, and brood rearing in colonies of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). I. Apidologie, 11: 361-365.
Doull, K.M. (1980b). Relationships between consumption of pollen supplement honey production, and brood rearing in colonies of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.). II. Apidologie, 11: 367-374.
Duncan, D.B. (1955). Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics, 11: 1-42.
Gary, N.E. and Lorenzen, K. (1987). Vacuums device for collecting and dispensing honey bees (Hymenoptera Apidae) and other insects into small cages. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 80: 664-666.
Haydak, M.H. (1945). Value of Pollen Substitutes for brood rearing of honey bees. J. Econ. Entomol., 38: 484-487.
Haydak, M.H. (1961). The change in the vitamin content of royal jelly produced by nurse bees of various ages in confinement. Bee world, 42: 57-59.
Herbert Jr., E.W. (2000). Honey bee nutrition. In: Graham, J (Ed.). The hive and the honey bee. Dadant and Co.; Hamilton, IL., USA. pp. 197–224.
Herbert Jr., E.W. and Shimanuki, H. (1976). Effects of early and late feeding of Wheat diets on honey production. American Bee Journal, 116: 492-494.
Herbert Jr., E.W. and Shimanuki, H. (1978). Chemical composition and nutritive value of bee collected and bee stored pollen. Apidologie, 9: 33-40.
Herbert Jr., E.W., Shimanuki, H. and Caron, D. (1977). Caged honey bees: Comparative value of some Proteins for initiating and maintaining brood rearing. Apidologie, 8: 229-235.
Iannuzi, J. (1993). Pollen: food for honey bee and man? III. American Bee Journal, 133(8): 557–563.
Iannuzi, J. (1993b). Pollen: Food for honey bee and man? Last part. American Bee Journal, 133: 633-637.
Johansson, T.S.K., and Johansson, M.P. (1977). Feeding honey bees pollen and pollen substitutes. Bee world, 58: 105-118.
Keller, I., Fluri, P. and Imdorf, A. (2005). Pollen nutrition and colony development in honey bees: part I. Bee World 86, 3–10.
Kullincevic, J.M., Rothenbuhler, W.C., and Rinderer, T.E. (1982). Disappearing disease. I. Effects of certain protein sources given to honey bee colonies in Florida. American Bee Journal, 122: 189-191.
Macicka, M. (1987). Effect of pollen and its substitutes on hypopharyngeal glands, Fatty tissue, length of life and content of nitrogen compounds in the fat of bee bodies. Vedecke prase vyzkumneho ustavu vcelarskeho V Dole, 9: 137-148.
Manning, R. (2001). Fatty acids in pollen: a review of their importance to honey bees. Bee world 82:60-75.
Peng, Y.S., Marston, J.M., and Kaftanoglu, O. (1984). Effect of supplemental feeding of honeybee (Hymenoptera Apidae) populations and the economic value of supplemental feeding for production of package-bees. Journal of Economic Entomology, 77: 632-636.
Ruttner, F. (1973). Zuchtechink und zuchtauslese bei Biene-Ehernwirth Verlag Munchen S. pp. 12-38.
Saffari, A., Kevan, P.G., and Atkinson, J. (2010). Consumption of three dry pollen substitutes in commercial apiaries. Journal of Apicultural Science, 54(1): 5-12.
SAS Institute. (2001). Statistical Analysis Systems User’s Guide (8th. ed.). SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.
Schmidt J.O., and Hanna, A. (2006). Chemical nature of phagostimulants in pollen attractive to honeybees. J. Insect. Behav., 19: 521-532,
Schmidt, J.O., Thoenes, S.C., and Levin, M.D. (1987). Survival of honey bees, Apis mellifera, fed various pollen sources. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 80: 176-183.
Shaw, D.E. (1990). The incidental collection of fungal spores by bees and the collection of spores in lieu of pollen. Bee world, 71: 158-176.
Skubida, P., Semkiw, P., and Pohorecka, K. (2008). Stimulative feeding of bees as one factor in preparing colonies for early nectar flows. Journal of Apicultural Science, 52(1): 65-72.
Standifer, L.N., Moeller, F.E., Kauffeld, N.M., Herbert Jr., E.W., and Shimanuki, H. (1977). Supplemental Feeding of Honey Bee Colonies. Agricultural Information Bulletin U. S. Department of Agriculture, 413: 1-8.
Zahra, A., and Talal, M. (2008). Impact of pollen supplements and vitamins on the development of hypopharyngeal glands and brood area in honey bees. Journal of Apicultural Science, 52(2): 5 - 12.