View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
tracywebb House Bee
Joined: 12 Sep 2014 Posts: 14 Location: Leamington Spa
|
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 9:02 am Post subject: Bee Immunity and Health Research |
|
|
Has any research been done on the resilience of bees allowed to feed on their own honey opposed to those fed on syrup/sugar water and denied their stores?
I believe that bees not allowed to eat their own honey must be depleted since there is no nutritional value in the alternatives they are fed. Same with us, if we eat rubbish we suffer the consequences...
Perhaps this is a huge contributor towards the bees decline. Low immunity from the lack of proper food, resulting in an inability to fend off toxins, varroa, pesticides etc. It makes sense to me that the stronger the bee the more resilient they must be.
Would be interested to know if any research has been done on this.
Thanks |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
biobee Site Admin

Joined: 14 Jun 2007 Posts: 1063 Location: UK, England, S. Devon
|
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:25 am Post subject: |
|
|
I know there are studies which prove the exact opposite - that bees actually live longer on sugar syrup than they do on honey...
Counter-intuitive, I know, but the fact is that honey appears to contain some substances that actually shorten bees' lives, compared to eating pure sucrose. There is probably a link to the research in the relevant section, but I'm in a bit of a rush so don't have time to look it up right now. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
tracywebb House Bee
Joined: 12 Sep 2014 Posts: 14 Location: Leamington Spa
|
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:32 am Post subject: |
|
|
That has shocked me. I was sure they would thrive on their on own food better than sugar. Wow! Thanks for replying  |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
madasafish Silver Bee
Joined: 29 Apr 2009 Posts: 882 Location: Stoke On Trent
|
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 12:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
In every case, feeding honeybees frames of honey increases their chance of death. Talk about the unexpected! Let me repeat: if you feed your honeybees that which they would feed themselves, frames of honey, then you are increasing their chance of death. We don’t know the cause. But we have strong survey data speaking and we should listen.
http://tinyurl.com/mq3kvfl |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
AugustC Silver Bee

Joined: 08 Jul 2013 Posts: 613 Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
|
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 12:17 pm Post subject: |
|
|
All results should be interpreted carefully.
For examples: The lifespan of all mammals can be prolonged using a calorie restricted diet. The individuals life will certainly be significantly longer BUT:
They will be more prone to injuries, especially bone breakages, bruising etc.
They will have a compromised immune system, leaving more likely to contract infections.
Their recovery from infections and injuries is greatly slowed.
They will also need to be considerably less active and will spend a larger portion of time resting and sleeping to cover the calorie deficit.
The colony for the most part doesn't care how long a individual lives provided it is able to return to the colony the resources it took in producing it. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
tracywebb House Bee
Joined: 12 Sep 2014 Posts: 14 Location: Leamington Spa
|
Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 5:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks AugustC, I was thinking along the line of whether they are more productive/healthy/strong/ on their own honey in the tine they are alive rather than living longer and being impaired.
Thanks  |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
ingo50 Scout Bee
Joined: 30 May 2014 Posts: 311 Location: Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK
|
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:02 am Post subject: |
|
|
There is a post on this site linking to research on the expression of certain genes depending on whether honey or sugar or corn syrup have been fed to bees. Sorry I can't remember exactly where. With differing genotypes and multiple varying expression of specific gene parts, it will be difficult to say what the individual and cumulative effects are. With the rapid advances in modern genetic testing and some good objective research I am sure this will be answered in the future. In humans there is increasing evidence linking poor diet to cancer and other chronic illnesses. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
BBC Scout Bee
Joined: 11 Jul 2012 Posts: 407 Location: Bicker, Lincolnshire, UK
|
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
ingo50 wrote: | In humans there is increasing evidence linking poor diet to cancer and other chronic illnesses. |
Corn syrup lies behind many health problems in humans - the problem being that unlike glucose or sucrose, brain receptors don't register a high blood fructose level - so a person just keeps on ingesting the stuff, leading to metabolic chaos in the short-term, and obesity in the long-term. Both of which can be precursors to disease. But it's a cheap product (in the States) so it finds it's way into most manufactured foods, and is a food of preference for commercial beekeepers over there because of it's low price. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
tracywebb House Bee
Joined: 12 Sep 2014 Posts: 14 Location: Leamington Spa
|
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:56 am Post subject: |
|
|
I wonder if anyone would do some research on the quality of the bee's productivity, resilience, performance and health on their own honey opposed to those raised on sugar/fondant/syrup...
As a nation we are living longer, however, many are living longer with poor health and impaired functioning. Longevity doesn't always equate with quality...
Thanks for all your replies been an interesting read  |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
imkeer Foraging Bee

Joined: 03 Oct 2011 Posts: 203 Location: Belgium, Antwerpen, Schilde
|
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 7:26 am Post subject: |
|
|
I don't think it matters much if individual bees that eat sugar in a lab have a longer life.
What matters is what's good for the colony. So does the colony live longer? Does it have more chance of surviving? If their gut culture (specific lactic acid bacteria strains, enzymes, ...) is maintained or maybe even improved, the bees will pass this on to the young bees and thus keep the colony healthy...
Or not or what?
Luc P.
(BE)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hapicultuur/246934258717439 |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
Quality Top Bar Hives by Andrew Vidler
|
Conserving wild bees
Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.
Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.
There is a spectacular display of wild bee hotels here
More about bumblebees and solitary bees here
Information about the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
|
|
Barefoot Beekeeper Podcast
|
|
|
|
4th Edition paperback now available from Lulu.com
|
site map
php. BB © 2001, 2005 php. BB Group
View topic - Bee Immunity and Health Research - Natural Beekeeping Network Forum
|
|