Supplemental feeds and foraged corn grain dust: a comparison of the number of days survived in vitro by young adult honey bees (Apis mellifera)

To investigate the value of atypical foraging behavior honey bees (Apis mellifera) during dearth, we compared number days survived in vitro among young adult kept hoarding cages using various feeding strategies. Treatment groups were fed solid patty diets consisting 100%, 67%, or 33% bee gathered corn grain dust, hand collected 100% commercially available pollen substitute. The also provided either 0.5:1 sucrose syrup, 1.5:1 syrup concert with aforementioned supplements. No significant difference was observed receiving different types feed, demonstrating that feed dust this instance, may provide sufficient nutrition for survival when preferable forage is unavailable. There a statistically types, indicating potential benefit supplement included by beekeepers dearth.