Fermented pollen substitute diet affects the lifespan of honey bee workers under the effect of food consumption rate and vitellogenin expression

Abstract

This study determined the longevity of caged workers fed with different diets (carbohydrate only, bee bread, unfermented pollen substitute diet, and fermented pollen substitute diet). Survival rates were higher for bees fed the fermented versus the non-fermented diet, though the difference was not significant. The honey bees consumed significantly more fermented than an unfermented diet. Hemolymph proteins were significantly higher in bees that had been fed a fermented versus an unfermented diet. Though still significantly lower than in bees fed on beebread, where vitellogenin (an essential storage protein for honey bees) levels were increased significantly in bees fed the fermented versus the non-fermented diet and were similar to and not significantly different when compared to beebread-fed bees. We conclude that fermented by beebread-derived microorganisms can improve the nutritional value, acceptance, and utility of an artificial protein diet and lifespan of the honey bee's workers.