How to protect bees from protein dystrophy or protein starvation

Protein degeneration of bees is a disease that increasingly visits industrial apiaries, causing serious damage to bee colonies and economic damage to beekeepers. In the US, this disease of bees has significantly changed the bee care system and the profitability of the apiary, increasing the loss of bees. Therefore, the beekeeper needs to know how to prevent protein degeneration of bees. Read to the end - it will be interesting!

Content

• What is proteinaceous dystrophy of bees
• When disease occurs in the apiary
• What is dangerous bee protein dystrophy
• Which bee colonies are prone to protein dystrophy
• Signs of protein dystrophy of bees
• How to deal with proteinaceous dystrophy of bees

 

 

What is proteinaceous dystrophy of bees

Protein degeneration of bees is a non-contagious disease of bees, which is caused by a lack of protein feed.

 

When disease occurs in the apiary

Depending on the type of apiary, it can occur throughout the beekeeping season.

 

What is dangerous bee protein dystrophy

Why is protein degeneration of bees dangerous? With a lack of protein feed of good quality, the bees experience a violation of protein metabolism.

To grow brood, nurse bees consume the protein reserves of their own body, as a result of which they become exhausted, quickly grow old and die prematurely. The larvae also receive less protein and produce small bees that are unable to raise brood, and bee cannibalism can begin when some of the brood is eaten. As a result, the bee family weakens, and then may die.

 

Which bee colonies are prone to protein dystrophy

Protein dystrophy often affects bee colonies working on pollination in greenhouses. The disease can also occur in an ordinary apiary in early spring if there are no bee-bread stocks in the hive. Protein may not be enough for bees if the apiary is located in an area where there are few plants that produce pollen or poor quality pollen, for example, from coniferous trees and some other plants.

Recently, due to the growth of bee migrations for pollination of plants, there are cases when bees pollinate plants from which bees collect very little pollen, as well as the use of bees for pollination of monocultures. In this case, in addition to protein degeneration of bees, bee avitaminosis may occur.

During a period of drought, bees may encounter a situation where plants not only stop producing nectar, but collecting pollen from them can be problematic. In this case, in addition to protein dystrophy, the beekeeper may face a whole bunch of diseases, including pollen toxicosis, honeydew toxicosis, carbohydrate dystrophy of bees.

 

Signs of protein dystrophy of bees

When examining bees, the beekeeper should pay attention to the diversity of the brood of bees. In order not to be confused with sac brood or other diseases, the beekeeper pays attention to a small amount of printed brood. With protein dystrophy, bees are small, underdeveloped, poorly active, black in color. In the nests of families there is no or very little perga and fresh pollen.

The diagnosis of protein degeneration of bees is established by the absence of perga and fresh pollen in the combs, the presence of dead young and old bees near the hive.

How to deal with proteinaceous dystrophy of bees

First of all, it is necessary to take into account the availability of protein sources around the apiary and its quality. It is extremely useful to place apiaries in places where there is a steppe or forest forbs, and the more species composition of plants, the better. It is believed that around the apiary there should be at least 100 species of pollen-producing plants, including trees and shrubs. Bees must collect pollen from at least seven plants at the same time and in sufficient quantities. These measures can prevent protein degeneration of bees.

It is desirable for nomadic apiaries, after pollination of the monoculture, to go to flowering forbs, this is especially important in the fall when building young bees in the winter. If possible, then negotiate with farmers about sowing plants that give bees pollen next to the pollinated crop. For example, plant safflower around the perimeter of an alfalfa field.

If necessary, the beekeeper should take a number of measures:

• leave bee bread in the hive for the winter,
• create a supply of frames with honey and bee bread in the apiary,
• save the pollen until the next season,
• prepare honey-bee bread paste in reserve.

Each beekeeper should plant plants next to the apiary, which should give the bees not only nectar, but also pollen - phacelia, Melilot after cutting, sylphia, Jerusalem artichoke and others.

If, nevertheless, there are no stocks of bee bread and pollen, then the bees can be fed with protein food, for example, such as:

• Prepare a protein supplement with pollen substitutes
• Can you make a protein candy?
• You can make whey syrup

These recipes will help the bees make up for the lack of protein and save families.

Happy season to all beekeepers!