The Effect of Replacing Gammarus Powder Instead of Flower Pollen in Feeding Bee Colonies on Their Performance and Behavioral Indicators

Subject Areas : Journal of Animal Biology

Kaveh Jafari Khorshidi ¹ , esmaeil Ganji Jamehshooran ^{2 *} , Monirolsadat Salavatian ³

1 - Department of Animal Sciences, Ghaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ghaemshahr, Iran
2 - Department of Animal Sciences, Azadshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Azadshahr, Iran
3 - Department of Animal Sciences, Ghaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ghaemshahr, Iran

Received: 2023-12-27 Accepted : 2024-08-26 Published : 2025-05-27

Keywords: Honey Bee, Replacement Feed, Pollen, Gamarous, Biological Behaviors,

Abstract :

Bees naturally receive carbohydrates through flower nectar, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals through pollen. In this regard, the present research was carried out using Gammarus as a protein source to replace pollen in desert conditions and on the common honey bee Apis mellifera. The factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design with 4 treatments and 4 replications, a total of 16 hives during a period of 6 months. The treatments included: 1- pollen (pure), 2- gammarus (33.3) percent + pollen (66.6) percent, 3- gammarus (66.6) percent + pollen (33.3) percent and 4- gammarus powder (pure). A significant difference was observed between different treatments in terms of food consumption in different periods at the end of the experiment (P<0.05). In other words, the highest food consumption was related to control treatment (pollen) with 195.4 grams and the lowest consumption was related to treatment 3 with 91.99 grams in each period. Also, a significant difference was observed among the different treatments in the different periods of the experiment in terms of honey storage in the tested colonies (P<0.05). The average honey reserve in different periods in treatments 1 to 4 was 2.49, 3.34, 2.33 and 4.1 kg respectively. The average cost of feed to produce each kilogram of food in the Gammaros treatment was about 2 times more economical than the control treatment. And in other studied traits, according to the obtained results, no significant difference was observed. The use of Gamarus food composition instead of pollen in honey bee colonies is perfectly compatible with the diet of honey bees, and in terms of economic characteristics, it can be used as a new product instead of flower pollen, which was about 2 times more economical. It is recommended

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