Influence of pollen and pollen substitute diet quality on hypopharyngeal gland development, body weight and the survival of Ethiopian honey bees (Apis mellifera simensis)
摘要
Honey bees naturally depend on pollen for their protein requirements. Beekeepers also commonly feed colonies with pollen substitute diets during floral dearth seasons. The nutritional quality of food is an essential factor for bee physiology and survival. However, the effect of both the natural pollen and the pollen substitute diets on Ethiopian bees is unknown. The effect of three locally collected corbicular pollens (Trifolium pollen, Brassica pollen, and Guizotia pollen), pollen substitute (fava bean flour), and 50% w/v sucrose solution (control) was tested on caged bees. We assessed the daily per-bee consumption of the diets, acini size of hypopharyngeal glands, fresh body weight, and survival of the bees. Bees consumed the highest amount of Guizotia pollen. The largest acini size and the highest fresh body weight were recorded in bees that fed on Trifolium pollen, while survival was the highest in those that fed on Brassica pollen. Consumption of only sucrose solution resulted in the lowest of acini size, body weight, and survival of bees. Generally, supply of protein from pollen diets had the best results in the physiological and survival performances of bees.