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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Fat Bees Skinny Bees
  • Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 20:08:12 -0500

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] Fat Bees Skinny Bees
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 19:34:58 -0500
From: Joel Gruver <jgruv@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

Hello folks,

While discussing CCD and other challenges facing beekeepers with my dad (a
beekeeper for over 30 years) this afternoon, he mentioned that he was eager
to get a copy of a recent Australian publication about honeybee nutrition
titled "Fat Bees Skinny Bees".

My parents have extensive plantings of bee forages on their farm in Maryland
and have thought quite a bit about how to increase the quantity and quality
of nectar and pollen available throughout the foraging season. Last year
they harvested 8 supers (~ 240 lbs of honey) from their most productive
hive.

Perhaps improved nutrition is an underutilized option available to
beekeepers confronting so many challenges today.

A link for downloading "Fat Bees Skinny Bees" , an executive summary and the
table of contents are copied below.

Joel

Joel Gruver
Dept of Agriculture
Western Illinois University
jgruv@hotmail.com

***********************************************************

http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HBE/05-054.pdf

Summary of full report

FAT BEES SKINNY BEES
- a manual on honey bee nutrition for beekeepers

By Doug Somerville

Livestock Officer (Apiculture) NSW Department of Primary Industries Goulburn

RIRDC Publication No 05/054 RIRDC Project No DAN-186A


Executive summary
The publication, Fat Bees/Skinny Bees, is a manual on honey bee nutrition for beekeepers. It provides information on the known essential chemical requirements of honey bees including the components of nectar and pollen. Pollens with a protein level around 25% or greater have been recognised as excellent quality pollens, those less than 20% have been described as of a poor quality. Australia has had more pollens analysed than any other country, and for the first time all of the profiles of the analysis are presented, representing 183 species. There is some evidence that pollens from the same genus, i.e., closely related plants, exhibit similar nutritional values in regards to pollen chemical composition.

Lack of nectar or stored honey presents the beekeeper with various sets of problems.

These scenarios are discussed with the most appropriate course of action. Likewise, lack of pollen or poor quality pollen creates its own set of problems, often exacerbated by the stimulus of a nectar flow. How to recognise the need to provide pollen supplement and the circumstances which may lead a beekeeper to invest in this practice are discussed.

Some facts about honey bee nutrition include; nectar flows stimulate hygienic behaviour; total protein intake is what should be considered, not so much the individual chemical properties of individual pollens; fats in pollen act as strong attractants to foraging bees, although increasing concentrations in pollen limit brood rearing; vitamins are very unstable and deteriorate in stored pollen; principal cause of winter losses is starvation, not cold.

Pollination and queen rearing present their own set of management issues in relation to supplementary feeding and managing nutritional stress. Stimulating colonies in both circumstances with strategic application of supplements can be very beneficial. Lack of fresh pollen has a major negative effect on the rearing of drones.

Means of preparing and feeding sugar and pollen supplements are presented in different chapters. Our knowledge on pollen supplements is limited, but this area has received a great deal of attention. On the other hand, sugar syrup feeding is a commonly practised management tool in many countries including the state of Tasmania, yet not on the Australian mainland.

The information provided in this manual should provide most beekeepers with enough information to seriously consider providing sugar syrup to bees in the future as a means of manipulating bee behaviour. As the costs and returns of beekeeping change, the option of sugar syrup feeding may prove to be an alternative to moving apiaries further afield in search of breeding conditions.

Forty four case studies of beekeepers from every state in Australia and two from New Zealand are provided as examples on what is being practised by commercial beekeepers. They are not necessarily getting it right, but by trial and error, are improving the way they manage bees and ultimately improving the profitability of their beekeeping enterprise.

CONTENTS Page
Foreword ......................................................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... iv
Executive Summary....................................................................................................... vii
1. Introduction ..............................................................................................................1
Nectar ..............................................................................................................3
Pollen: - Chemical composition........................................................................4
- Protein ................................................................................................4
- Amino acids ........................................................................................5
- Fat......................................................................................................6
- Minerals ..............................................................................................7
- Vitamins ..............................................................................................8
2. Nutrition Management .............................................................................................9
Lack of nectar/honey...........................................................................................9
- Winter requirements...........................................................................9
- Drought management .......................................................................11
Lack of pollen....................................................................................................11
Pollination ..........................................................................................................13
Queen rearing...................................................................................................15
3. Sugar — Supplements..........................................................................................18
Preparation ........................................................................................................19
Frequency of feeding sugar ...............................................................................20
Sugar feeders ....................................................................................................21
- Frame feeders..................................................................................21
- Bottle or tin feeders..........................................................................22
- Bucket feeders ..................................................................................23
- Tray feeders.....................................................................................24
- Plastic bags......................................................................................25
- Open feeders ....................................................................................25
- Other devices...................................................................................26
Pests ............................................................................................................26
Sugar versus alternatives ..................................................................................26
- Detrimental sugars...........................................................................27
4. Pollen — Supplements/Substitutes.....................................................................28
When to feed.....................................................................................................28
Pollen ............................................................................................................29
Bee bread ..........................................................................................................30
Choice of ingredients .........................................................................................30
- Soy flour...........................................................................................31
Recipes ............................................................................................................32
Making/Mixing...................................................................................................33
Feeding/Placement of supplement....................................................................34
History ............................................................................................................35
5. Economics ............................................................................................................37
Cost versus benefit ............................................................................................37
Contamination...................................................................................................38
Experimental design ..........................................................................................39
6. Pollen Chemical Composition..............................................................................42
Published crude protein, amino acid, mineral and fat
contents of honey-bee collected pollens in Australia
7. Case Studies..........................................................................................................85
Western Australia
John Davies, Peter Detchon, Harry East, Colin Fleay,
Ron Jasper, Rod Pavy, Bob Power, Steve Richards
South Australia
Leigh Duffield, John Fuss, Geoff Smith, Graham Wagenfeller
Tasmania
Ken Jones, Bill Oosting, Col Parker, Ian Stephens,
Julian Wolfehagen
Victoria
Kevin & Glen Emmins, Ken Gell, Ian Oakley, Ray Phillips,
Craig Scott
New South Wales
Trevor Billett, Rosemary Doherty, Dave Fisher, Wayne Fuller,
Warren Jones, Monte Klingner, Dayl Knight, Keith Mcilvride,
Greg Mulder, Mike Nelson, Harold Saxvik, John & Kieren
Sunderland, Fred Taylor, Warren Taylor, Bruce White, Col Wilson
Queensland
Don Keith, Ken Olley, Rod Palmer, David Stevens
New Zealand
John Berry, Wouter Hyink
8. Bibliography

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  • [permaculture] Fat Bees Skinny Bees, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 03/10/2007

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