Honey Bee Nutrition

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) play a major ecological role since they are the main pollinators worldwide. In addition, these insects have been managed for commercial purposes for a long time due to the products obtained from their colonies. However, based on the number of published scientific studies, honey bee nutrition is a topic that has received increasing attention during the last years, likely due to land use intensification, which has decreased the diversity and/or quality of pollen available for honey bees, impacting their health. Moreover, there is an increase in inquiries from beekeepers regarding strategies to mitigate nutritional stress, suggesting that the information available is not enough. This gap might be related to the fact that honey bee nutrition is closely dependent on the environment in which the honey bees are. In this revision, we first review the information regarding honey bees' nutritional resources and requirements. Secondly, we analyze the flow of these nutritional resources within the honey bee colony and their effect at the individual and colony level. Thirdly, we analyze the impact of nutritional stress on honey bee colonies, explore the availability of strategies for colony supplementation, and discuss their effects on colonies' strength and productivity. Fourthly, we analyze the interaction between the infection level with pathogens and nutritional stress, considering the Eucalyptus grandis plantations, a common scenario in Uruguay in which those stressors interact. Finally, we aimed to identify research directions that could contribute to improving honey bee health through nutrition. Understanding the complex interactions between honey bee colonies, their environment and beekeeping management practices is key to achieving a sustainable productive activity.