EFFECT OF POLLEN SUBSTITUTES ON INFLUENCING THE COLONY GROWTH OF ASIATIC HIVE BEE, APIS CERANA INDICA F. (HYMENOPTERA : APIDAE)N. Vijayakumari, Saravanan P.A., Chitra N. and Rajendran L.Abstract Apiculture is a critical component in increasing agricultural yield across the world. Honey beesâ high health and cleanliness are essential for apicultureâs enrichment and advancement. To meet their dietary needs, honeybees require pollen and nectar-rich blooms. The experiments were done at multiple locations of Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to assess the influence of pollen substitute on enhancing the colony growth of Asiatic hive bee, Apis cerana indica. The palatability, consumption and effects of protein-rich pollen substitutes diet were evaluated on honey bee colonies, Apis cerana indica. Supplementary pollen feeding include the combination of roasted Bengal gram powder, Parched red gram powder, soya bean powder, glucose, skimmed milk powder, multivitamins, brewerâyeast, honey and sugar at various proportions in eight different treatments and compared with control. For a month, data collection was conducted regularly on a weekly basis. From the observation, Roasted Bengal gram powder (30%) + Skimmed milk powder (25%) + Honey (34%) + Brewerâs yeast (10%) + multivitamin (1%) substantially increased colony growth metrics such as brood area, nectar store area, pollen store area, and foraging activity when compared to the other treatments. |