The availability of nectar and pollen is crucial for sustaining honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. During floral dearth periods, natural forage is limited, leading to reduced colony strength and productivity. To address this issue, the present study evaluated the effects of different pollen-based diet formulations on colony activity and development during the summer dearth period. The four diets used were D1 (gram flour, turmeric powder, sugar powder, ground pollen, and honey); D2 (brewer's yeast, maize flour, skimmed milk powder, sugar powder, ground pollen, and honey); D3 (soybean flour, skimmed milk powder, sugar powder, ground pollen, and honey); and D4 (control and sugar syrup only), in three replicates each. Colonies received 100 g of diet weekly in the form of patties and were assessed for diet consumption, sealed brood area, and honey storage area. Results showed that T2 was the most consumed diet (38.52 g/colony/week) and resulted in the highest sealed brood area (545.95 cm²) and honey storage area (405.96 cm²), compared to control and other treatments. The study demonstrated that protein-enriched pollen substitutes, particularly those including brewer's yeast, maize flour, skimmed milk powder, sugar powder, ground pollen, and honey, can effectively enhance colony build-up and productivity during the periods of forage scarcity. These findings support the development of standardized supplementary diets to mitigate the adverse effects of seasonal dearth on beekeeping operations.. KEYWORDS :Apis mellifera, Colony development, Dearth period, Diet formulations, Pollen substitute, Supplementary feeding
ALSHOGARI et al. (Sun,) studied this question.