A microscopic algae ("microalgae") could provide a complete and sustainably sourced supplemental diet to boost the robustness of managed honey bees, according to research just published by Agricultural Research Service scientists in the journal Apidologie.
A microscopic algae ("microalgae") could provide a complete and sustainably sourced supplemental diet to boost the robustness of managed honey bees, according to research just published by Agricultural Research Service scientists in the journal Apidologie.
Poor nutrition in honey bees is often an underlying factor in colony losses because malnutrition amplifies the detrimental effects of parasites, pathogens, and pesticides. Habitat loss, decreases in flowering plant diversity and large tracts of crop monoculture (cultivation of a single crop over a large area) all can potentially contribute to lessening natural pollen sources, which provide bees essential nutrition.
Now, research by ARS entomologists Vincent Ricigliano and Michael Simone-Finstrom has shown that the microalgae Arthrospira platensis (commonly called spirulina) has a nutritional profile that closely resembles pollen. Spirulina is a part of family of blue-green algae, which are single-celled organisms that exist individually or in chains or groups.
Ricigliano and Simone-Finstrom found that spirulina is rich in essential amino acids and lipids required by bees, with levels matching those found in tested pollen samples.
Read more at US Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service
Image: A blue-green microalgae could provide a strong, sustainably produced artificial diet for honey bees (Credit: Vincent Ricigliano, ARS-USDA)
