Beekeepers who are just starting to work in an apiary are often interested in what exactly bees eat. Their diet is influenced by a large number of factors. Among them, it is worth highlighting the time of year and living conditions. The type of insect is also important. The diet of working individuals differs significantly from the diet of queen bees or drones. The young feed on royal jelly.
What do bees eat in nature?
Wild bees eat nectar from a range of plants. To a greater extent they prefer linden, sage, and thyme.Also, under natural conditions, insects absorb nectar from bird cherry, coltsfoot, and chicory.
In addition, the diet of such individuals includes fruit syrup - pear, apple, plum, grape. Wasps help insects obtain this food. They gnaw through the flesh, making holes in the fruit. After which the bees climb into the tunnels and drink the juice. They do the same with damaged fruits. At the same time, wild individuals do not spoil the harvest. They will not drink whole fruit syrup.
Diet of bees in the apiary
The responsibilities of insects in the hive are clearly distributed. Some individuals are engaged in collecting nectar, others - feeding their offspring. The main function of the uterus is the laying of eggs. The nutrition of bees is influenced by their variety.
Working individuals are considered the most undemanding. They only consume nectar and bee bread. In winter, bees require additional feeding. From the age of insect larvae it is recommended to switch to a composition of honey and bee bread. Therefore, worker bees are much smaller in size and do not develop as quickly. This type of individual must receive the required amount of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. This affects the quality of their work.
Rules and features of feeding
Timely feeding helps to obtain the following results:
- avoid swarming during the dry period;
- eliminate food shortages in winter;
- make the bee colony stronger before wintering;
- carry out the prevention of dangerous pathologies and prevent infection by parasites.
It is important to consider which plants insects collect nectar from and what they feed on. Depending on this, adjustments must be made to the diet. Thus, poppy, lupine and rosehip provide only pollen. In spring, bees need to be fed immediately after leaving the nest.
In summer, fertilizing should be done from mid-July to mid-August, when there is pollen on the flowers and no nectar. This helps individuals prepare sugar syrup and make supplies for the winter.
Before wintering, bees are fed from August 25 to September 5. The weather is warm at this time, which makes it easier for insects to process sugar. In winter, feed is required as needed.
Depending on the purpose of use, the following types of fertilizers are distinguished:
- stimulating;
- basic, food replacement.
The type of feeding also affects the consistency of the syrup. For the main variety, you need to take a thick mixture of 1 liter of water and 2 kilograms of sugar. To obtain a more liquid mixture, it is recommended to use the components in equal proportions.
Do bees eat honey?
Bees actually eat honey. To overcome the enormous distances that insects travel in search of honey plants, they require increased nutrition. Therefore, bees stock up on food for several days at once. Hungry individuals will simply die.
Bees feed on flower nectar and honey. Under natural conditions, they additionally absorb fruit syrup. In apiaries, insects need to be fed periodically.
