Could supplementary feeding impact honey bee health?

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are the primary pollinators of many crops and bee products – including honey, beeswax and propolis – are used in a number of medical, health and cosmetic goods. 

To protect colony health and defend bees from malnutrition, immune system impairment and pesticide susceptibility when nectar is in short supply, beekeepers often supplement the honey bee diet with sugar. However, the effect of this diet on bee health is not yet understood. 

This study, led by Plant & Food Research in association with Massey University, looked at the effect of supplementary sugar feeding on adult honey bees and found it alters the bacterial composition within the bee’s digestive tract. The study results show that sucrose increases the proliferation of normally low-abundance bacteria. The major metabolites produced by these bacteria may have important physiological functions for the bee – such as enabling the bee to use the nutrients in food, supporting larval development or increasing the prevalence of gut disease, as shown in other insects. 

As this research is new, scientists are yet to identify the role these bacteria play and determine which are beneficial or damaging for the colony. Future research into honey bee gut bacteria may also provide a model for exploring interactions that occur in the human gut. 

Journal Reference

Taylor MA, Robertson AW, Biggs PJ, Richards KK, Jones DF, Parkar SG 2019 The effect of carbohydrate sources: Sucrose, invert sugar and components of mānuka honey, on core bacteria in the digestive tract of adult honey bees (Apis mellifera) PLOS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225845