New Food Powers Hungry Bees Through Pollination
April 19, 2025 by Team Wild Science
Scientists have created a special food that could be a game-changer for saving honey bees – and it works just like the protein bars humans eat when they need energy!
Researchers from Washington State University and Belgium’s APIX Biosciences have developed a complete artificial diet that can keep bee colonies healthy even when they don’t have access to flower pollen. This breakthrough could help fight the worrying trend of colony collapse that threatens both wild bee populations and the crops they pollinate.
The new food looks like a protein bar and contains all the nutrients bees need to survive. Beekeepers can place these “power bars” directly into honey bee colonies, where young worker bees process and share the nutrients with larvae and adult bees.
“Changes in land use, urban expansion, and extreme weather all negatively impact nutrition for honey bees and other pollinators,” explained Brandon Hopkins, Professor of Pollinator Ecology at WSU and one of the study’s authors. “Honey bees need variety in their diet to survive but find it increasingly difficult to find the continuous supply of pollen they need.”
More:
https://scienceblog.com/wildscience/2025/04/19/new-food-powers-hungry-bees-through-pollination/