The effect of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa A Chev) and yellow flowered broom (Cytisus scoparius Link) pollen on the ovary development of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L)

Abstract - The effect of feeding honey or honey-pollen mixtures (using pollen from yellow flowered broom, male kiwifruit flowers, female kiwifruit flowers) on the ovary development of worker honey bees was assessed after the bees had been caged without a queen for 14 d. There was no significant difference in ovary development between bees fed honey and those fed pollen from female kiwifruit flowers mixed with honey, nor between bees fed broom pollen and pollen from male kiwifruit flowers when mixed with honey. Each of the latter 2 diets resulted in ovary development that was significantly greater than that of bees fed either honey only or pollen from female kiwifruit flowers mixed with honey. It is suggested that the nutritional value of various pollens for worker honey bees may be determined by examining their ovary development after being fed selected pollen diets in cages without a queen for 14 d.