Best Management Practices for

Pollen Substitute Application for

Pollination Colonies
Les Eccles
OBA Tech-Transfer Program

Importance of Pollination to Ontario

Beekeeping
Pollination in Eastern Can
14700 Colonies in 2011
17% increase from 2010

26000 Colonies in 2012

77% increase from 2011

24400 Colonies in 2013

New Brunswick
12-13 million pounds
$7.2-7.8 million

Added Opportunities = Added

Challenge
Nutrient Deficiencies
Transportation
Pest and Disease
Population maintenance
Overwintering

Causes of Protein Deficiency

Low or poor quality pollen
Increased activity over pollen requirements
i.e. high nectar flow with poor pollen

Pollen too far away

Varroa effects protein storage
Poor overwintering

Effects of Protein Deficiency

Halt to brood rearing
Consume eggs and larva
Premature capping of pupa

Increased risk of EFB

Lower or poor quality supercedure
Decreased foraging behaviour
Poor overwintering

2012 Nutritional Study

Apply 3 quantities of pollen (Global Patties)
2 lbs. low
3 lbs. mid
5 lbs. high
Study optimal amount

Upon return from pollination

Colony Strength (Bees and brood)
Disease profile
Food stores (honey and pollen)

Cost Analysis

Effect of Feeding on Bee

Population July 2012
35
30

Cell Mean

25
20
15
10
5
0
Nill

Three

Two
Cell

Five

Effect of feeding/Pollination on
Varroa Infestation
Interaction Bar Plot for %VarroaSu
Effect: Fed
Error Bars: 1Standard Error(s)
5
4.5
4

Cell Mean

3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
.5
0
Not Fed

Fed
Cell

Effect of Feeding/Pollination on
Nosema
Interaction Bar Plot for Spores/bee Su
Effect: Fed
Split By: NosemaD
Cell: Positive
Error Bars: 1Standard Error(s)
1400000
1200000

Cell Mean

1000000
800000
600000
400000
200000
0
Fed

Not Fed
Cell

8cases wereomittedduetomissingvalues.

Pollen Substitute Results

No difference 2, 3 and 5 lbs
Brood
Frames of Bees
Food Stores

Colony Health
Increase EFB
Increase Nosema compared to non pollination
Decreased Varroa compared to non pollination
Missing eggs and larva

What is going on??

Quantity of Pollen?
Quality of Pollen?
Disease build up in Comb?
Management of EFB
Recovery conditions before overwintering

2013 Pollen Substitute Types

Bee Pro
15%
$1.20

Global Patties
15%
$1.20

Home Made Substitute

Parts

Quantity

Ingredient

100 lbs.

Granulated Sugar

25 lbs.

Brewers Yeast

48% protein

12 lbs.

Dried Whole Egg

47-48% protein $26.40

5 litres

Water

3 cups

Veg Oil

$01.75

3 cups

Lemon Juice

$01.25

Total

150 lbs.

Specs

Price
$38.00

11.2%

$39.25

$106.65

2013 Project Set up and Evaluation

Application rate for each substitute type
Control (no substitute)
3 lbs.
5 lbs.

Assessment 180 colonies

Frame by frame
Honey, pollen, brood, bees
Disease presence (chalkbrood, sacbrood etc)

Weight (food stores

Varroa, nosema and tracheal mites

0.9

Effect of substitute type on frames

of bees after pollination
a

0.8
0.7
0.6

0.5

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0

HM

BP

GL

Effect of substitute amounts

on frames of bees
1
0.9
0.8

a
b

0.7

0.6
0.4

5lbs

0.5

3lbs

0.3
0.2
0.1
0

HM

BP

GL

Effect of substitute type on brood

after pollination
0.5

0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25

ab

0.2
0.15

0.1
0.05

HM

BP

GL

Effect of substitute application rate on stored

Pollen
1.6

1.4

1.2
1

a
b

0.8

3 lbs
5 lbs

0.6
0.4
0.2
0

HM

BP

GL

Effect of Substitute type on

Population Build up for Winter
8

ab

bc

5
4
3
2
1
0

HM

BP

GL

Home Made Substitute $0.71/lb

Parts

Quantity

Ingredient

100 lbs.

Granulated Sugar

25 lbs.

Brewers Yeast

48% protein

$39.25

12 lbs.

Dried Whole Egg

47-48% protein

$26.40

5 litres

Water

3 cups

Veg Oil

$01.75

3 cups

Lemon Juice

$01.25

Total

150 lbs.

Specs

Price
$38.00

11.2%

$106.65

Benefits of Home Made Substitute

Higher immediate consumption
Improved brood and bee populations after
pollination
Improved build up to winter time
Cost approx. $2.10 per colony compare to
approx. $3.60 per colony (BP and GL)

Pollination vs. Non-pollination

Nosema control may be an especially big concern for beekeepers who
provide pollination services
Average Nosema spores per bee

Average Varroa per 100 Bees

18.00

3,000,000

16.00

2,500,000

14.00
12.00

2,000,000

10.00

1,500,000

8.00
6.00

1,000,000

4.00

500,000

2.00
0.00

Spring

Summer

Fall

Spring

Pollination colonies
Non-pollination colonies

Summer

Fall

Virulence Winter mortality

2012 Varroa levels for 2013 live vs. dead colonies
14

Varroa mites/100 bees

12
10
8
live
6

dead

4
2
0
spring

summer*

fall*

A much stronger relationship exists between Varroa

levels and winter mortality

IPM for Pollination Service

Varroa
Decreased reproduction rates in pollination
Resulting in decreased winter mortality

Will this change if improved management

increases brood production?

Seasonality proportion of infected bees

Percentage of bees positive for Nosema infection by season in 2012 and
2013 in Southern Ontario.
100

90

80

70

60

50

40
Sp12

Su12

Fa12

Sp13

Virulence Economic cost

Low Nosema
High Nosema
Difference
Value/frame
Lost value

Frames of
Frames of
Frames of
Bees
Brood
Honey
10.11
4.38
7.84
8.13
3.16
4.84
1.98
1.22
3.00
$ 12.00
$ 18.00
$
8.00
$ 23.72
$ 21.95
$ 23.97
Total
$ 69.65

Current Control
Effect of spring Fumagillin
treatment on Nosema levels in 2012
pollination colonies

Effect of spring fumagillin treatment on

Nosema levels in 2013 pollination
colonies
1800000
1600000

2000000
1500000
not treated
1000000

treated

500000
0

Nosema spores/bee

Nosema spores/bee

2500000

1400000
1200000

not treated

1000000
800000

treated

600000
400000
200000

spring*

summer*

fall

0
spring*

summer

fall

IPM for Pollination Service

Nosema
increased concern for pollination colonies
Significant economic impact
Treatments and application methods need to be
improved

Best Management For Pollination

Pollen substitutes should be tested in field just
like pest control produces
Other stresses could greatly improve colony
conditions
Transportation
Management will in pollination

Nosema requires improved management

Acknowledgements
Dr Ernesto Guzmans lab:
Dr. Guzman, Paul Kelly, Mollah Md. Hamiduzzaman, Hailey
Ashbee, Berna Emsen, Jessica Gu, Dan Borges, Esther Uribe
Tech Transfer Program:
Les Eccles, Devan Rawn, Melanie Kempers, Raquel Mijares,
Natalie Talbot, Sarah DAndrea, Kinnison Ma, Daniel Thurston