AUTHOR=Sultana Naznin , Reza Md Elmur , Alam Md Noor , Siddiquee Md Nuray Alam , Islam Md Shafiqul , Rahman Md Ataur , Sayed Md Abu , Rahman Md Mashiur TITLE=Evaluating the efficiency of supplementary feeding as a management strategy for enhancing honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) colony growth and productivity JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bee Science VOLUME=2 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bee-science/articles/10.3389/frbee.2024.1386799 DOI=10.3389/frbee.2024.1386799 ISSN=2813-5911 ABSTRACT=

Sustaining honeybee colonies is challenging during dearth periods as their metabolic functions are reduced due to limited foraging activities. The experiment used honeybee colonies of Apis mellifera, and five different low-cost supplementary foods—sugar, banana, pumpkin, maize flour, and rice flour syrups—were introduced as treatments. Every box for each treatment received a daily 300-ml supplementary food syrup consisting of a specific amount of feeding materials along with 100 g of brown sugar and 20 g of honey. The amount of food consumed was assessed on the second day following the supplementation. Supplemental food with low-cost feeding materials significantly impacts the growth and strength of the colonies. Results revealed significant impacts on colony growth and strength, with all supplements contributing to food consumption over 78%. Despite variations in brood and pollen cells, all feeding supplements showcased efficiency in supporting honeybee feeding, indicating their potential utility in mitigating the challenges during the dearth period. Notably, pumpkin syrup emerged as the best supplement, offering cost-effectiveness compared to sugar and banana syrups, and it could reduce sugar syrup costs by 50% while enhancing brood, honey, and pollen cell production by 71.36%, 108.36%, and 58.73%, respectively. The findings of the economic analysis revealed that the cost of feeding materials was the highest for sugar syrup ($1.89), followed by banana ($0.91), pumpkin ($0.83), maize ($0.53), and rice ($0.53). This study suggests that supplementing honeybee colonies with low-cost feeding materials can positively impact colony growth and strength during dearth periods and advance the beekeeper’s decision as a cost-effective alternative to traditional sugar syrup.