Bees Diversify Diet to Take the Sting Out of Nutritional Deficiencies
New research shows that honey bees forage for a diet that balances their colony’s specific nutritional deficits. While pesticides and pathogens pose clear threats to honey bee health, the need of bee colonies for balanced nutrition is gaining increasing appreciation. As colonies are kept in agricultural areas for crop pollination, they may encounter nutritional deficits when foraging predominantly on one pollen source.
"This research indicates that honey bee colonies strive to balance their nutrition if appropriate floral resources are available. Bee colonies can benefit by this type of resilience when food options are sparse, for instance at certain sites or in seasons of dearth. Since alternative floral resources can help bees to balance their nutritional needs, this should serve as an incentive for everyone to plant flowers, wherever and whenever they can," said Dr. Harmen Hendriksma.
"Our research with bees continues to reveal their remarkable abilities. Honey bee colonies must maintain a balanced diet for optimal health, and bee foragers seem to have evolved the sophisticated ability to bias their efforts towards finding food that balances the colony's nutritional deficiencies. In so doing they remind us that in nutrition, as in many other things, maintaining the proper balance is key," said Prof. Sharoni Shafir.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160413084523.htm
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-04/thuo-bdd041316.php
videos at: https://youtu.be/WqbDrAJjRkQ and https://youtu.be/YyTKbRd2uWQ.
