Impact of Brood Quantity on Protein Foraging in Honey Bees

Alyssa Curry

Honey bees consume pollen which has varying protein and lipid contents. To see how the amount of brood (developing bees) in a colony impacts foraging behaviors, we manipulated the amount of brood in 30 colonies last fall. The analyzed samples showed that colonies with removed brood collected more protein-rich pollen than colonies with added brood, demonstrating that brood quantity influences foraging behaviors. This data will help farmers and beekeepers provide better nutrition for their colonies.
Major: 
Environmental Resource Management
Exhibition Category: 
Health and Life Sciences
Exhibition Format: 
Poster Presentation
Campus: 
University Park
Faculty Sponsor: 
Christina Grozinger
Poster Number: 
16142