The superfood that would save bees

It was developed for the honey bees. I could protect them against threats from climate change and habitat loss. The colonies of bees that consumed the supplement during the tests had up to 15 times more bee young that reached adults. The superfood that bees would save can change the world. It is not a joke.

Helpper bees are a vital part of food production. They contribute to pollinating 70% of the main crops in the world. «This technological advance provides bees from all the nutrients they need to survive. We can continue feeding them even when there is not enough pollen, ”said Professor Geraldine Wright, from the University of Oxford.

The superfood that bees would save is here.

New food

Hyed bees worldwide face a serious decline. It is due to nutrient deficiencies, viral diseases, climate change and other factors. In the United States, annual colonies losses ranged between 40% and 50% in the last decade. The United Kingdom beekeepers have also faced serious problems.

Bees feed on pollen and flower nectar containing nutrients, including lipids called sterols. They produce honey in the hives, which becomes their food source during winter, when the flowers have stopped producing pollen. When the beekeepers get honey to sell it, they give the supplementary food insects.

But the sterol has always been very difficult to manufacture. Now, they managed to create a yeast capable of producing the six sterols that bees need. The "superfood" was supplied to the bees of the laboratory hives for three months.

I would save them once the pollen is over.

Promising future

The colonies fed with this meal had up to 15 times more bee offs that reached adulthood. "When bees have complete nutrition they should be healthier and less susceptible to diseases," they say.

«It is very important in years in which summer advances. The bees will not have enough pollen and nectar to spend the winter ». Now there are larger scale tests to assess the long -term effects of food on the health of honey bees. The supplement could be available to beekeepers and farmers within two years. The research was published in the specialized magazine Nature.