Following best practices around feeding honey bees in the spring can create a dilemma for many beekeepers. The main consideration for commercial beekeepers is the economic benefits of providing supplemental feed. Generally speaking, bees that have been well fed in the autumn should be ok to survive through winter and into spring. This does not mean that in certain conditions, emergency spring feeding may be required. Also, preparing bees for pollination will have specific considerations. In this blog we will look at the benefits of feeding bees pollen patties in preparation for and during pollination of wild blueberries.
Spring Pollen Substitute for Honey Bees
Pollen patties are a supplemental
source of protein fed to bees, often in the spring, to ensure the colony has adequate
nutrition, specifically for brood production.
Pollen patties come in a range of forms but usually contain a protein
source, sugar and lipids. In addition to
these nutritive ingredients, there will usually be a binding agent added as
well. The protein may be real pollen or from
sources such as brewer's yeast, rice flour, cereal grain flour. Individual manufacturers may also include
other additional nutrients to their pollen patties.
Early spring feeding
of pollen patties in preparation for pollination is a practice both supported
by research and proven of economic benefit.
A Canadian research team led by Shelley Hoover out of the University of
Lethbridge, Alberta, concluded that spring feeding of pollen patties increased
honey bee populations1. This
work demonstrates the benefits of supplemental feeding of protein in advance of
pollination. It must be noted that the
supplementation occurred in April and the bees were being prepared for
providing pollination for hybrid canola. So this differs in both the time of
pollination and the plant species being pollinated when compared to Atlantic Canada
and wild blueberry pollination. Nonetheless, it demonstrates the benefits of
this practice and is applicable to our region.
Considering the timing of blueberry pollination, beekeepers would have
to supplement in March rather than in April.
Field trials on the benefits of pollen patty application have been undertaken by ATTTA specific to wild blueberry pollination. A study done in 2019 set out to determine the effect, if any, of providing pollen substitute to honey bee colonies during blueberry pollination on the growth of colonies2. A number of hives were supplemented with pollen patties while placed on wild blueberry fields for pollination. The resulting data show that feeding pollen substitute to colonies during blueberry pollination did not influence colony size. Colony health was assessed at three weeks post pollination. There was no appreciable impact on reducing the prevalence and severity of EFB. Subsequent work completed by ATTTA replicated these results, also showing no statistically significant differences between honey bee colonies supplemented with pollen patties during blueberry pollination and those not provided pollen supplementation. Details of these results can be seen in the figure.
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Figure 1. Boxplot demonstrating the effect of pollen patties on colony strength (Frames of Bees) in Nova Scotia during pollination season in 2020. Figure A. shows the results of adding pollen patties on hive strength at the beginning of pollination, measured three weeks later. Figure B. shows the results of the addition of pollen patties on hive strength at the beginning of the pollination, again after three weeks of pollination and measured three weeks post pollination. There was no statistical difference between the hive fed 0 pollen patty, 1 lbs. of pollen patty, 2 lbs. pollen patty measured at either time point. The box contains the 25 – 75th percentile range, the line represents the 50th percentile (median), whiskers show the range (min. to max. values).
These studies,
undertaken to prove the benefits of pollen supplementation in preparation for
pollination, suggests that early spring pollen patty application is of economic
benefit for beekeepers. There is a
measurable increase in hive strength, and this will result in a stronger
pollination unit. There is less evidence
to support the practice of pollen patties applied during pollination. The assumption could be that later in the
spring, natural sources of pollen are available and that honey bees consume
these preferentially. In preparation for wild blueberry pollination
early application of pollen patties is recommended and would seem to be of
greater economic benefit than feeding protein supplement during
pollination.
1. Hoover, S.E., Ovinge,
L.P. and Kearns, J.D., 2022. Consumption of supplemental spring protein feeds
by western honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies: effects on colony growth
and pollination potential. Journal of Economic Entomology, 115(2), pp.417-429.
2. Olmstead, S. R.
McCallum, and J.Shaw, 2019. Evaluating the effect of feeding pollen substitute
to honey bee colonies destined for wild blueberry pollination in Colchester
County, Nova Scotia. Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture (ATTTA), www.perennia.ca/portfolio-items/honey-bees/
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