Subject Area
Biology
Description
Bees obtain nutrients from flowers. Pollen provides proteins and fats; nectar provides carbohydrates. Pollen is important for providing essential amino acids which honey bees must obtain from their diet for proper development. Commercial honey bee colonies, however, pollinate monocultures, which contain one crop type thus, one unbalanced nutritional resource. We examined how a lack of protein diversity affects honey bee pollen foraging behavior. Bees were raised on three diet treatments: no manipulation, all 10 essential amino acids (EAAs, i.e., protein building-blocks), or only 6/10 EAAs. Bee-collected pollen was trapped upon return to the hive and nutritional content was analyzed. We predict that bees raised on a diet lacking EAAs will compensate by foraging for pollen higher in nitrogen. Poster updated since presentation at 13th Annual Celebration of Student Scholarship and Creativity (https://engaged-learning.providence.edu/caitlin-mchugh-24-and-gracey-sorensen-24/). Research for credit, presented at the Pollinator Lab Meet and Greet, hosted by the Westerly Land Trust.
Publisher
Providence College
Date
Fall 12-13-2022
Type
Poster
Format
Text
Language
English
