Honey bees are remarkable insects whose social structure and survival hinge entirely on their ability to gather and store food. Honey, which they labor to create and preserve, represents their primary energy stockpile, essentially concentrated flower nectar. When beekeepers harvest this store, a common concern arises that the colony might be left without sustenance, especially when natural food sources are scarce. Removing the bees’ natural food necessitates providing carefully formulated replacements. This article explains the nutritional gap created by honey removal and details the specific foods beekeepers provide to maintain colony health.
The Natural Diet of the Honey Bee
The honey bee’s diet is a two-part system derived entirely from flowering plants. Nectar, or the honey produced from it, is the carbohydrate source, functioning as the colony’s fuel for flight, thermoregulation, and daily activities. Adult foraging bees rely on these sugars for the intense energy demands of their work. Honey is simply ripened nectar that bees reduce in moisture content and enrich with enzymes for long-term preservation.
Pollen, the second component, supplies necessary proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. This resource is directed toward growth and reproduction, not immediate energy. Nurse bees consume pollen to produce royal jelly and feed the developing larvae, making it indispensable for brood rearing and colony expansion.
Understanding the Honey Harvest
Beekeepers harvest honey by removing frames of capped stores from the hive, but they generally only take the colony’s surplus. Surplus honey refers to the food stores that exceed what the bees require for immediate survival, especially to get through a dearth period or the winter. Modern beekeeping practices, which include providing a structured hive, often allow colonies to produce significantly more honey than they would naturally need.
The beekeeper must ensure the colony retains enough original honey for its own use, particularly in the lower brood chambers. If the amount of honey left is insufficient, or if the harvest occurs before a period of limited forage, beekeepers must intervene. Providing a replacement food source is a management technique used to prevent starvation and support a strong, healthy colony population.
The Primary Substitute: Sugar Syrup
The direct replacement for the energy and carbohydrate component of honey is sugar syrup. This substitute is formulated from refined white granulated sugar, or sucrose, dissolved in water. Bees consume the syrup, process it with enzymes like invertase, and store it in the honeycomb cells, providing a storable carbohydrate reserve to sustain their high energy needs.
Beekeepers adjust the sugar-to-water ratio based on the colony’s immediate need. A thin syrup, mixed at a 1:1 ratio, is used to stimulate the colony during spring or summer. This ratio mimics natural nectar, prompting the queen to increase egg-laying and expand the brood nest. Conversely, a thick syrup, typically a 2:1 ratio, is fed in the late fall to help the bees quickly build up stores for winter.
Sugar syrup is nutritionally limited compared to flower honey. Trace minerals, vitamins, and complex organic compounds found in diverse floral nectars are absent in refined sugar. The syrup offers pure energy but lacks the micronutrient complexity of the bees’ natural diet, meaning it is used primarily as a survival food to replace lost caloric stores.
Supplementing Protein and Micronutrients
Since sugar syrup only replaces carbohydrates, beekeepers must address the protein and micronutrient gap left by removing natural pollen stores. This is achieved using specialized protein supplements, commonly known as pollen patties. These dough-like mixtures are placed directly inside the hive for the bees to consume.
The composition varies, but patties generally contain a protein source, such as soy flour or yeast, mixed with sugar and essential lipids. They mimic the nutritional profile of natural pollen, providing the amino acids necessary for larval development and immune function. Beekeepers feed these patties during times of natural pollen scarcity, like mid-winter or drought, or in early spring to encourage accelerated brood production.
While natural stores are the ideal food source, providing synthetic substitutes is a more common and cost-effective method for sustaining the population. By providing both sugar syrup for energy and protein patties for development, beekeepers ensure the colony has the essential components necessary to thrive after a honey harvest.