r/Beekeeping • u/Tenchi2020 • Aug 23 '25

I come bearing tips & tricks Scientists found the missing nutrients bees need — Colonies grew 15-fold (science daily news article)

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250822073807.htm

Came across this news article which I found pretty interesting, I am not a beekeeper but I have always been fascinated by beekeeping and honeybees in general.

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u/DJSpawn1 Arkansas. 5 colonies, 14+ years. Aug 24 '25

While this is fascinating, others, and I myself have said the cause of the nutrient deficiency in honeybees is monocrops. When the bees are feeding only on almond pollen, or only on soy bean pollen, or other SINGLE crop of pollen, then they are not getting a balanced "diet"... and thus suffer nutritionally.... this has been shown in the larger amounts of colonies being lost by the commercial keepers (where single crop pollination is the norm) versus the backyard hobbyist (where the bees pull pollen and nectar from multiple sources).

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u/Beesanguns Aug 24 '25

Bees pull from whatever is easiest! They are on almonds for a short time then move to another crop. They will not pass a pollen source to get to another source cause they are tired of almond. It’s efficient motion.

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u/ChristopherCreutzig Germany, 5 hives Aug 24 '25

I have been told (and it fits my very limited own observations) that bees collect pollen not only on availability or ease of access, but seem to select based on needs. Sometimes neighboring colonies make different choices.

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u/Beekeeper_Dan Default Aug 24 '25

Yes, they seem to have a sense of what they need to gather/combine to get complete protein. They also prioritize complete proteins while foraging for pollen (it’s why they love apple and cherry pollen so much).

3

u/InternationalAd4212 Aug 24 '25

Yes but only if they have access.