New foods make bees hungry through pollination

Scientists have created special foods that could become a game-changer to save bees. And it works just like the protein bars that humans eat when they need energy!

Researchers at Washington State University and Belgium’s APIX Biosciences have developed a fully artificial diet that can keep bee colonies healthy even when pollen is not accessible. This breakthrough will help combat the worrying trend of colony collapse that threatens both wild bee populations and the crops they pollinate.

New foods look like protein bars and contain all the nutrients you need to survive. Beekeepers can place these “power bars” directly on honeybee colonies. There, young workers’ bees are processed and nutrients can be shared with larvae and adult honeybees.

“Land use, urban expansion and extreme weather changes all have a negative impact on the nutrition of bees and other pollinators,” explained Brandon Hopkins, professor of Pollinator Ecology at WSU and WSU. One of the authors of the study. “Homebees require dietary diversity to survive, but finding the ongoing supply of pollen needed will become increasingly difficult.”

Until now, honeybees were the only livestock that could not be maintained with artificial feed alone. Most animals grown by humans, from chickens to cows, can thrive on a carefully designed diet, but bees needed natural pollen to survive. New developments will completely change this.

The researchers discovered something particularly important. Naturally discovered in pollen, a molecule called isofcosterol is absolutely essential for the health of honeybees. When this particular nutrient was missing from the test diet, honeybee colonies showed reduced larval production, adult paralysis, and ultimately completely disintegrated.

To prove their food works in real-world conditions, scientists tested it on a colony of bees placed in fields of bees and sunflowers. The results were impressive – colonies receiving new food flourished, but those who didn’t have it struggled or died.

“Some beekeepers don’t pollinate blueberries anymore because the colony suffers or dies,” Hopkins noted. “Blueberry pollen is not very nutritious for bees, but if there is this supplemental food source, beekeepers may return to pollinating those fields, as they know that bees are likely to survive.”

Timing is no more important. Bee populations face major challenges around the world, including habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and climate change. If bees do not have access to diverse and nutritious pollen sources, their immune system becomes weaker and more vulnerable to diseases and parasites.

The research team is working to make honeybee supplements commercially available by mid-2026. Until then, they have been working with beekeepers across the US to develop the best ways to incorporate this new tool into standard beekeeping practices.

For young animal lovers worried about bee conservation, this development offers real hope. Ensuring bees receive proper nutrition may reverse the surprising trend of colony collapse and help protect these important pollinators and the food systems that depend on them.

Remember – about a third of the food we eat depends primarily on pollination from honeybees! By developing better ways to keep these small but powerful creatures healthy, scientists are helping to secure food supplies for future generations.

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