The use of probiotics in spring supplementary feeding of bee colonies

Galina Mishukovskaya, Marat Giniyatullin, Dmitry Shelekhov, Airat Khabirov, Elena Smolnikova and Aygul Naurazbaeva

Abstract: Long wintering in countries with temperate and cold climates significantly undermines bee colonies, making them more susceptible to various diseases. The use of beneficial bacteria in spring supplementary feeding can rapidly recover bee colonies after wintering and increase their productivity during the honey harvest period. The paper presents the results of a comparative study of the effect of probiotic feed additives created based on different groups of microorganisms on the bee colonies spring development. The PcheloNormosil feed additive consists of lactic acid bacteria and saccharomycetes. The SpasiPchel additive includes three strains of the Bacillus subtilis bacterium. The subject of the study were bee colonies of the dark forest bee Apis mellifera mellifera L. The bees were kept in an apiary located in the northern forest-steppe zone of the Republic of Bashkortostan (Russian Federation). The research revealed a beneficial effect of probiotics on bee colonies wellbeing. Adding them to sugar syrup when feeding bees stimulates the oviposition of queens, increases the sealed brood amount and strengthens the colony when it prepares for the main honey harvest from small-leaved linden. Colonies receiving lactobacilli and saccharomycetes showed significantly higher productivity exceeding the control values. Feeding based on Bacillus subtilis did not significantly impact the bee colonies honey productivity. Optimization of dosage and selection of strains of beneficial bacteria for use in beekeeping need further research.

Keywords: Apis mellifera mellifera; bee colonies strength; feed additives; probiotics; sealed brood

Date published: 2023-02-24