This study, using caged bees, showed they survived longest on a diet of pure sucrose.

Pollen is the natural source of protein for
bees and is essential not only during the larval
stages but also for gland and ovarian activation.
In spite of this, the survival of young
worker honeybees was negatively correlated
with the protein level in their diet.

Survival was significantly higher on the pure
sucrose diet compared to the pollen ones and
they performed significantly better on pure casein
compared to the 3:1 or 1:1 pollen diet.

Of the three protein sources tested, casein
was most beneficial to the bees with respect
to survival. This nutritional advantage was observed
on all P:C ratios. Casein is not part of
the natural diet of honeybees but this purified
protein powder is commonly used in nutritional
studies on a variety of animals.

The importance of protein type and protein to carbohydrate
ratio for survival and ovarian activation of caged honeybees
(Apis mellifera scutellata)*
Christian W.W. Pirk*, Chiraag Boodhoo, Hannelie Human, Susan W. Nicolson
Apidologie 41 (2010) 62–72
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