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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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From:
Peter Loring Borst <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 28 Nov 2014 08:15:29 -0500
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Hi all

I think it's important to distinguish between the motives of different beekeeping approaches. One person may be using his or her hives to make a living (turn a profit) while another may be studying the role of nutrition in bee health. There may be a vast difference between raising livestock and raising individuals with optimal health. It's pretty clear the goals of conservationists and agriculturalists also may be at odds with each other. I am just stating this things for clarity. There is a broad continuum between surviving and thriving.

> In this study, we provided experimental evidence for a link between pollen nutrition and baseline IC [immunocompetence] in honeybees. These results suggest that the abundance and diversity of environmental resources can have a direct impact on pollinator’s health.

> Polyfloral diets enhanced some immune functions compared with monofloral diets, in particular GOX activity, meaning that the diversity in floral resources confers bees with better in-hive antiseptic protection. This demonstrates that diet diversity is important and that a minimal nutrient diversity may not meet all honeybee needs. 

> Because nitrogen content was equal between the mono- and polyfloral diets, additional properties might be present in the pollen mix. For example, essential amino acids from protein digested are required in specific proportions to complete their normal growth and development (de Groot 1953).

> If nutrition is a critical factor in immune response, then malnutrition is probably one of the causes of immunodeficiency in honeybee colonies. This work also emphasizes the importance of diet diversity and underscores the need for further studies to test differ- ent blends of proteins and identify protein ‘cocktails’ essential for developing normal immune function.

Alaux, C., Ducloz, F., Crauser, D., & Le Conte, Y. (2010). Diet effects on honeybee immunocompetence. Biology Letters, rsbl20090986.

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