Effect of feeding pollen supplements prepared with feed bee and bakery yeast on population growth of honey bees

The present study was conducted to investigate attractiveness of pollen supplements prepared with Feed Bee and bakery yeast and their effects on population development of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. Sixteen honey bee colonies with one year old sisterhood queens and similar in size، food reserves and adult population were divided into 4 groups randomly. The colonies were fed: with a sugar solution (1:1) only in control group، a sugar solution and patties composed of 15% bakery yeast، 45% Feed Bee، 30% powdered sugar & 10% honey in second group; a sugar solution and patties composed of 25% bakery yeast، 35% Feed bee، 30% powdered sugar and 10% honey in third group and a sugar solution and patties composed of 60% Feed Bee، 30% powdered sugar and 10% honey in forth group. The supplemental foods were fed to colonies as weekly. The period of feeding treatment foods were 6 weeks. Adult bees population and brood numbers of colonies were measured two times each 21 days. Analysis of data as completely randomized design (CRD) using the SPSS software showed that the diets fed to the fourth and the second groups had the best attractiveness and stimulated the highest brood rearing and population development. The average cumulative consumption of patties of fourth group was significantly (p<0. 05) higher (251. 25 gr/colony/6 weeks) which followed by patties of second group (237. 5 gr/colony/6 weeks). Third group had the lowest consumption (145 gr/colony/6 weeks). It was noticed that after 6 weeks feeding، colonies fed with the patties reared more brood than control group. Colonies of fourth group reared significantly (p<0. 05) more brood (as average of 21546 cell/colony) than the other groups. In the end of experiment، hives of the fourth group had significantly more adult bees population (averagely 21938 worker bees/colony) followed by second group (averagely 21375 worker bees/colony). It is concluded that feeding honey bee colonies with 45% Feed Bee، 15% yeast، 30% powdered sugar and 10% honey improve brood rearing and adult bees population.