Effect of Pollen Substitutes Using Some Materials and Protein Supplements on the Body Composition of Nurse Bees

In order to find the most suitable substitute for the pollen at the time of scarcity in the nature and also to prevent the weakening of the colonies, an experiment was designed with six dietary rations consisting of pollen substitute and pollen supplement using soybean meal (treatment 1 and 2), pollen substitute and pollen supplement using corn gluten (3 and 4), pollen substitute and pollen supplement using sesame meal (5 and 6) and control group using only sugar syrup (7). This experiment was conducted with 70 colonies. Feeding of colonies was carried out in three steps from beginning of autumn till the end of the winter using cake of 550, 350 and 500 grs. respectively. In order to evaluate the effect of these experimental diets on body composition, several variables such as total nitrogen content of bee head and thorax (mg/bee), average dry weight (mg/bee), dry matter and moisture content of the head and thorax (%) of the nurse bees were measured. The results indicated that difference in nitrogen content of heads and thoraxes of nurse bees fed by different experimental rations were statistically significant (p< 0.01) and ration 2 has statistically significant difference with others, so the highest values of heads and thoraxes were belonged to ration 2, and the lowest values were obtained for rations 1, 3 and 6, respectively. For average dry weights of heads and thoraxes of nurse bees the ration was significant higher than others (p<0.01), and the lowest values belonged to rations 6 and 4, respectively. In terms of the average dry matter the rations 2 and 1 had significant differences with others (p< 0.01) and the highest values for heads and thoraxes were belonged to these rations, and the lowest values to rations 5 and 6. Also for percentage of average moisture content the rations 5 and 6 were significantly for heads and thoraxes and the lowest values belonged to rations 2 and 1, respectively. It was concluded that the two protein rations 1 and 2 were more palatable and more effective on body composition of nurse bees and can be used as nutritional stimulants during scarcity of pollen which will result in early laying, supplying the nutritional requirements of these bees, improving the growth of hypopharyngeal glands of worker bees and increase royal jelly secretion for feeding of queen and the larvae.