Methods for Comparing Nutrients in Beebread Made by Africanized and European Honey Bees and the Effects on Hemolymph Protein Titers

Africanized honey bees more efficiently convert protein diets into hemolymph protein than do Carniolan bees (Apis mellifera carnica)

Genetics and Molecular Research ◽

10.4238/vol8-4gmr628 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 1245-1249 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

F.A. Cappelari ◽

A.P. Turcatto ◽

M.M. Morais ◽

D. De Jong

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Africanized Honey Bees ◽

Apis Mellifera Carnica ◽

Hemolymph Protein ◽

Protein Diets

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A comparison of bee bread made by Africanized and European honey bees (Apis mellifera) and its effects on hemolymph protein titers

Apidologie ◽

10.1007/s13592-012-0154-9 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 52-63 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman ◽

Bruce J. Eckholm ◽

Ming Hua Huang

Keyword(s):

Apis Mellifera ◽

Honey Bees ◽

Bee Bread ◽

Hemolymph Protein

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Fermentation of a Pollen Substitute Diet with Beebread Microorganisms Increases Diet Consumption and Hemolymph Protein Levels of Honey Bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Sociobiology ◽

10.13102/sociobiology.v65i4.3293 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

pp. 760 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Joyce Mayra Volpini Almeida Dias ◽

Michelle Manfrini Morais ◽

Thiago Mauricio Francoy ◽

Rogério Aparecido Pereira ◽

Aline Patricia Turcatto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Honey Bees ◽

Nutritional Value ◽

Food Source ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Natural Food ◽

Protein Levels ◽

Hemolymph Protein ◽

The Difference ◽

Bee Colonies ◽

Artificial Protein

Pollen substitute diets have become increasingly important for maintaining strong and healthy honey bee colonies. Palatability and nutritional value are key attributes of a good diet. Since beebread, which is pollen fermented by the bees, is the main food of the worker nurse bees that feed and care for the bee larvae, pollen substitutes should have similar attributes. In an attempt to simulate this natural food source, an inoculum prepared from beebread was used to ferment a pollen-substitute diet. Newly emerged bees were fed on the diets for seven days. They consumed significantly more fermented than unfermented diet. Hemolymph protein levels were significantly higher in bees that had been fed a fermented versus an unfermented diet, though still significantly lower than in bees fed on beebread. Vitellogenin (a key storage protein for honey bees) levels were also increased significantly in bees fed the fermented versus the non-fermented diet. Survival rates were higher for bees fed the fermented versus the non-fermented diet, though the difference was not significant. We conclude that fermentation by beebread-derived microorganisms can improve the acceptance and utility of an artificial protein diet for honey bees.

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