Determination of the effect of pollen and pollen substitute feeds on colony physiology in feeding of honey bees (Apis mellifera).

This study was conducted to determine the effect of pollen and pollen substitute diets on colony physiology of honey bees (Apis mellifera). In this study, honey yield, population development, overwintering and survivability, flight efficiency, aggression scoring, vitellogenin level, abdominal fat content, gut weight, wet and dry weights of the whole body and its parts (head, Thorax, abdomen) and Varroa destructor infestation rates of groups fed with 6 different pollen substitute diets and non-fed (control) were investigated. The protein source raw materials of the diets were pollen (diet I), Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) powder (diet II), fresh egg yolk (diet III), lyophilized lactose-free milk powder (diet IV), fresh yeast (diet V) and inactive brewer's yeast extract (ApiProtein) (diet VI). According to the results, the protein contents of 6 different diets (diet I, ... and diet VI) were 6.97%, 8.41%, 6.36%, 6.65%, 6.65%, 6.85%, and 11.05%, respectively. The honey yields of the group fed with different diets (diet I, ..., and diet VI) and no feeding (control) were 21.73±1.77, 21.54±1.96, 16.94±1.54, 16.45±1.51, 16.37±0.95, 20.51±0.74, and 17.14±0.65 kg/colony, respectively (P<0.05). The average total honey yield of all colonies was 18.67±0.65 kg/colony. The number of bee covered frames and sealed brood area were 11.47±0.25 pieces/colony and 440.78±13.60 cm2/colony, respectively, and the difference between these characteristics was statistically significant (P<0.05). The best results in terms of these characteristics were determined in colonies fed with pollen (diet I) and spirulina (diet II). The difference in vitellogenin level (ng/ml) in hemolymph between all groups was not significant (P=0.058; P>0.05). There was a statistical difference between the abdominal fat content of adult bees (P<0.05). The abdominal fat content was highest in the group fed diet II (spirulina) at 0.68±0.04 mg/bee. The highest gut weight was found in the groups fed with fresh yeast (diet V) and inactive brewer's yeast extract (diet VI) (P<0.05). The colonies fed with fresh egg yolk showed the worst results in all traits. As a result of this study, we recommend diet I (pollen) and diet II (spirulina) as pollen substitution diets.