The Effect of Feeding Fermented Pollen Substitutes on Honeybee Colonies Activities During Pollen Scarcity Under Apiary Conditions

The primary requirement in beekeeping is to provide honeybee colonies with a protein-rich diet during periods of pollen scarcity. The present experiment was conducted using four types of protein diet treatments, classified as follows 1) unfermented diet (control), 2) fermented diet, 3) fermented diet containing 10% Chlorella and Spirulina (5% each), 4) unfermented diet + 107 CFU Lactobacillus spp. (probiotic) The treatments were compared to a 50% sugar solution, which served as a negative control. The results indicated that the fermented diet containing 10% Chlorella and Spirulina (5% each), significantly improved total food consumption, brood-rearing activity, and colony population under apiary conditions. Protein content in nurse bees and bacterial counts (probiotics) in the hindgut showed a significant increase (p < 0). 05) when fed different substitute diets compared to the control group. This research suggests that the abundance of microbes in the honeybee gut may play an important role in preventing the loss of bee colonies in winter. Among these diets the fermented diet containing microalgae proved to be the most effective during periods of pollen scarcity. The effectiveness of the diet is generally attributed to its nutrient levels. The current findings suggest the importance of using a fermented pollen substitute as a supplementary diet during periods of pollen scarcity.