Stock Assessment and Artificial Nutrition

Knowing what bees need in order to survive is essential in order to understand the meaning and mode of nutrition itself. Firstly, bees need carbohydrates (especially glucose and fructose) for their energy needs and for the secretion of wax. Then, they need proteins for the constitution of body tissues, which, during the winter, are accumulated especially in the fat bodies. They constitute a reserve tissue in which digested foodstuffs are stored and which can be drawn on in times of difficulty. The constitution of the fat bodies is particularly delicate during larval development and, among the various components, vitellogenin plays a very important role. Vitellogenin is a protein that, among other things, enables bees to pass on to the larvae the immune skills necessary for their survival.

It is therefore easy to understand that proper nutrition is essential not only for the immediate survival of the hive, but also for its proper development and growth. It is therefore not an aspect to be underestimated. For this reason, assessing the state of stocks and understanding with which type of nutrition to intervene is essential. Stock control is an operation that is generally carried out in the autumn, and its consistency varies greatly depending on the location. It has been calculated that a family of average strength consumes about 2 kg of honey per month during non-blooming periods. Obviously, this estimated consumption must be adjusted to individual cases: in milder areas they will consume less, in areas with a harsher climate and longer winters they will need more.

On the basis of this information, it must be calculated whether and how artificial nutrition is needed. This is generally divided into sugar nutrition and protein nutrition. The sugar nutrition in the autumn period is used as support in order to sustain the accumulation of stocks or allow them to be replaced if they are depleted. It must be as concentrated as possible, otherwise it would cause a stimulating effect and could create dysentery problems in the colony. One can proceed by inserting combs in the hive with stocks of honey or one can proceed with the administration of syrup or candy.

If one chooses to administer syrup, one can decide whether to produce it at home or buy an industrially produced one. Generally, it is used when the bees still have a chance to perform their purification flights, but it is always good to make sure it is as concentrated as possible. If one opts for home-made preparation, it is best to respect the 2:1 ratio, i.e. 2 parts sugar for every 1 part water. It can be prepared hot or cold according to one's needs. There are various options for dispensing, such as pocket feeders, vacuum feeders, attic feeders or outdoor feeders. The candied, on the other hand, is extremely concentrated and has a very low water content. This makes it particularly suitable for the autumn and winter periods when the bees do not leave the hive. It too can be purchased or prepared at home.

Protein nutrition is of great importance. It allows the accumulation of protein in the fat body, which is directly linked to the proper development of bees and an increase in their life prospects. The time when there is the greatest need for protein support is between August and September, when the brood begins to prepare for the bees to face the winter. With the temperature fluctuations of recent years, however, this time limit is no longer so tight and the need for action may arise even later.

For bees, the ultimate source of protein is pollen. Some beekeepers take steps to collect pollen when there is plenty of it, and then store it and return it to the bees. This operation, needless to say, requires a lot of effort and dedication. Another solution is to move pollen-rich combs to families where there is a shortage, but only if it is certain that the family from which they are taken will be able to replenish stocks in a short time. If these two solutions are not feasible, surrogates can be used.

A very handy option is the feeding of protein candies or other protein substances such as soybean or other herbaceous plant meal, yeast or milk powder. These powders can be distributed as they are or immediately outside the hive or nearby for the bees to collect. Another option is to process these products to create solid pellets similar in consistency to candy, so that they can be placed directly inside the hive. Once this type of feeding has been undertaken, it must be continued until the appearance of pollen blooms that the bees can directly draw on. It is absolutely counterproductive to administer protein nutrition during winter in the absence of brood.

One might wonder why honey is not generally recommended instead of all these substitutes. It would indeed be the most natural and genuine choice, but there are some considerations to be made in this regard. Firstly, it represents the most expensive solution for the beekeeper, who may nevertheless decide to put it into practice, perhaps by inserting specially preserved combs for this purpose. Secondly, using honey can create health problems. Using honey of dubious origin is really not recommended because it could be a vehicle for diseases and pathogens. In this case, one should only use one's own honey, which one can be sure is not contaminated. Finally, the feeding of honey may cause unpleasant looting, which can be remedied by acting towards the evening and not during the day.

Assessing the state of stocks is therefore very important to understand how to act in order to have strong families that are able to get through the winter as well as possible. Sometimes, however, visual inspection alone may not be enough: incorrect calculations may be made and this may lead to the family running out of stock and literally starving. For these reasons, the use of remote monitoring tools can be very useful. Thanks to the possibility of measuring various parameters such as weight and temperature, one can see what state the family is in and whether action is needed.