Effect of supplementary diets on Apis mellifera colonies

Abstract

The research was conducted at the apiary of Instructional farm, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ADT Baramati during the period of October, 2023 to February, 2024. This study evaluates the effects of supplementary feeding on the performance of Apis mellifera colonies in terms of colony growth, brood area and honey yield. The experiment compared five dietary treatments soybean, chickpea, pea flour, BSF larva powder with sugar syrup and a control. Results showed that colonies fed with soybean flour + sugar syrup exhibited the best outcomes, with a higher number of frames covered by bees (6.93), larger brood areas (1429.30 cm²) and the highest honey yield (2.46 kg/hive). Chickpea flour + sugar syrup ranked second in performance. All supplementary diets significantly outperformed the control. These findings emphasize the importance of protein-rich diets in maintaining healthy bee colonies, especially during periods of natural forage scarcity.