British Beekeepers Award for improving honeybee health

One of the major factors responsible for the global decline in honey bees is the nutritional status of the colonies.  Poor nutrition affects bees’ resistance to disease. 

In some parts of the world it has been established that giving additional pollen to a honey bee colony, often in the form of pollen patties, has improved its strength. 

A project is being undertaken by Richard Bridgett (PhD student), Dr Falko Drijfhout and Dr David Aston, Chair of the BBKA’s Technical and Environmental Committee to study methods to enhance honey bee health by looking for substances in pollen that stimulate bees to feed. The ultimate aim is to produce more artificial bee diets containing all the essential nutrients and ensuring these stimulants are fed to the honey bees via the most palatable means.

The research team will launch a full investigation into determining which compounds are responsible for the palatability of pollen to the honey bee, studying compounds from various pollen sources to determine if these compounds are common or specific to a plant species. These natural compounds can then either be isolated, or synthesised, and mixed in with pollen substitutes to increase their palatability.

Firstly, chemical analysis of pollen will be undertaken to isolate and identify potential phagostimulants – chemical compounds that stimulate feeding.   Active extracts will be analysed using GC-MS or LC-MS, with the aim of identifying compounds that can then be tested as phagostimulants in phase two.

The second phase will be to utilise pilot bioassays -experiments used to measure the effects of a substance on a living organism - to test the activity of the extracts and individual compounds. This will be done using small numbers of bees, initially under controlled conditions, with the help of the honey bee laboratory at Sheffield University.

The results of these trials will then be used to create artificial diets to be tested within the UK in phase three by British Bee Keeping Association (BBKA) members feeding their colonies during early spring.