Physiological Impacts of Some Food Additives on Honeybee Workers (Apis mellifera L.)

Document Type : Original Article

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Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Moshtohor, Qalyubia, 13736, Egypt

Abstract

Honeybees Apis mellifera L. has an important role in pollination of agricultural crops. To enhance the performance and improve the physiological characteristics of honeybee workers, seven pollen substitutes were used and administrated at 7-day intervals for two years from February 2020 to January 2022. The Consumption pattern of diets, sealed brood area, and some physiological characteristics of honeybee individuals (proteolytic enzyme activity, HPG and wax glands development, abdominal lipid content, and protein content of the larvae and adults) were measured. After providing diets to honeybee colonies, we observed a positive effect on colony growth, where colonies fed with protein diets produced more brood than control colonies. Physiologically, the bees that were fed with protein diets had a higher percentage of abdominal lipid and soluble protein content than the control group and also recorded the longest development of the hypopharyngeal and wax glands was higher than the control group; and the proteolytic enzyme activity was higher in the midgut of bees in the colonies supplied with protein diets than control. Hence, pollen alternative diets can boost the physiology of honeybees leading to increased honey yield and profit.

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