Nutrition and health in honey bees

Adequate nutrition supports the development of healthy honey bee colonies. We give an overview of the nutritional demands of honey bee workers at three levels: (1) colony nutrition with the possibility of supplementation of carbohydrates and proteins; (2) adult nutrition and (3) larval nutrition. Larvae are especially dependant on protein and brood production is strongly affected by shortages of this nutrient. The number of larvae reared may be reduced to maintain the quality of remaining offspring. The quality of developing workers also suffers under conditions of larval starvation, leading to slightly affected workers. Larval starvation, alone or in combination with other stressors, can weaken colonies. The potential of different diets to meet nutritional requirements or to improve survival or brood production is outlined. We discuss nutrition-related risks to honey bee colonies such as starvation, monocultures, genetically modified crops and pesticides in pollen and nectar.