Importance of Nutrition in a Bee Colony
As with all living creatures, good nutrition is essential for a healthy bee colony. Many beekeepers focus mainly on the amount of liquid stores (honey/nectar reserves). However, pollen is just as important, yet it’s often overlooked.
- Low liquid stores can lead to starvation in both summer and winter.
- Low pollen availability can have longer-lasting effects, because larvae need proper nutrition to develop well. Poorly nourished larvae can grow into weak, underperforming, or unhealthy adult bees—sometimes for weeks or months.
“Reading” a Colony” During Inspections
A key part of beekeeping is learning to “read” what the colony is telling you.
During each inspection, make it a habit to look into a few cells containing freshly hatched larvae—about 4–5 days after egg laying. What you see can reveal whether the colony has enough nutrition coming in:
- If the colony has plenty of incoming food, larvae will be surrounded by a large puddle of brood food.
- If incoming food is limited, the cell bottoms may appear almost dry.
If this kind of observation were taught more widely, new beekeepers would learn faster and with more confidence.
What Pollen Color Can Tell You
Pollen quality varies depending on the plant source. In general, colonies do best when they receive a wide variety of pollen types, because diversity supports healthier nutrition.
When inspecting, take note of the color of the pollen:
- More variation in color = more variety of forage sources.
- Sometimes, even within the same apiary on the same day:
- some colonies may show mostly one pollen color (suggesting the bees are “locked on” to one source),
- while others show a mix of colors (suggesting access to multiple sources).
Poor Nutrition Isn’t Always About Forage
Low nutrition doesn’t always mean the colony lacks pollen and nectar in the landscape. Sometimes the real issue is internal:
- the ratio of nurse bees to larvae may be too low
- for example, during spring buildup
- a nucleus (nuc) formed with an imbalance of bees may struggle to produce enough brood food
What Happens When Nutrition Is Poor
Colonies that don’t get adequate nutrition become more vulnerable to disease, including:
- chalk brood
- European Foul Brood (EFB)
These problems are often more common in spring, when the colony may not have enough nurse bees available to properly feed larvae.
Recommended Resources
1) “Fat Bees Skinny Bees”
- A downloadable publication and practical guide on bee nutrition
- Written by Doug Somerville for Australia’s Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC)
2) “Honey Bee Nutrition and Supplementary Feeding”
- A downloadable Australian leaflet
- Written by Doug Somerville, published by the New South Wales Department of Agriculture
- The introduction states it provides an overview of:
- honey bee nutritional requirements
- the role of different carbohydrate and protein supplements
- For Australia (with the right context), it’s described as clear and very useful
There’s plenty more available on the internet. The key is to:
- read broadly,
- then apply the information to your local conditions.
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