New Artificial Diet Rescues Honeybees During Commercial Pollination

A breakthrough study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals that a nutritionally complete artificial diet can sustain honeybee colonies and protect them from the stresses of commercial pollination services.

Researchers from Washington State University and Belgium-based APIX Biosciences have developed a pollen-replacement diet that supports continuous brood production in colonies without access to natural pollen - a first in the beekeeping industry.

"Unlike other livestock species that can be maintained entirely on artificial diets, honeybees have historically required natural pollen sources for optimal colony health," explains the research team led by Thierry Bogaert. "Our study demonstrates that a properly formulated artificial diet can now fulfill all nutritional requirements for colony growth and development."

The scientists conducted two major experiments. In the first, they kept bee colonies in tented enclosures with no access to external food for 108 days - approximately two complete worker bee lifecycles. Colonies fed the complete diet maintained stable brood production throughout this period, while those given commercial supplements experienced severe declines after just 36 days.

Perhaps most surprising was the discovery about specific sterols, which are essential micronutrients for honeybees. The researchers found that isofucosterol, the third most abundant sterol in honeybees, proved critical for colony health. When this compound was omitted from the diet, colonies showed significant reductions in brood production and adults developed neuromuscular dysfunction.

"Contrary to previous assumptions, we found that 24-methylenecholesterol - long considered the most important sterol for honeybees - is not essential for colony viability," noted the researchers. "Bees surprisingly remained viable without it, though some reduction in brood production was observed."

In their second experiment, the team tested the diet's effectiveness under real-world commercial pollination conditions. Colonies deployed to pollinate blueberry and sunflower fields in Washington state were divided into four groups: those receiving the complete diet, an internal reference diet, a common commercial supplement, or no supplementary feeding.

By the end of the 133-day study period, colonies fed the complete diet had grown from approximately 3 frames of bees to over 10 frames, more than double the size of colonies receiving either commercial supplements or no supplementary feeding. Mortality rates were also dramatically lower in the colonies receiving the complete diet.

"This nutritionally complete diet addresses a root cause of honeybee decline - inadequate nutrition due to habitat loss, climate instability, and changes in agricultural practices," the researchers concluded. "It provides a viable tool for beekeepers to mitigate nutritional stress, particularly during commercial pollination services when natural forage may be limited or nutritionally inadequate."

The innovation comes at a critical time, as beekeepers worldwide struggle with unsustainable colony losses that threaten both the beekeeping industry and global food security that depends on pollination services.

Reference: Bogaert T, Reams T, Maillet I, Kulhanek K, Duyck M, Eertmans F, Fauvel AM, Hopkins B, Bogaert J. (2025). A nutritionally complete pollen-replacing diet protects honeybee colonies during stressful commercial pollination—requirement for isofucosterol. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 292: 20243078. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.3078

Published March 24, 2025