Supplementary feeding in honey bee (Apis mellifera)

Honey bees like other animals needs essential ingredients for growth and survival. Honey bee nutrition can be investigated on three levels, colony nutrition, adult nutrition and larva nutrition. Honey bee were supplemented with foods to meet their nutritional requirements at time of the year when natural food sources (nectar and pollen) is insufficient or unavailable. Supplementary feeding of honey bee is usually discussed in the form of suger and protein. In the proper management of colonies, we should be certain from enough reserves and make supplement them with carbohydrates in the time that is essential. The use of protein supplements in the complementary feeding bees is usually in the form of pollen substitues and pollen supplement.