Honey Bee's Diet

As a highly organized society, honey bees have been of interest to humans for thousands of years. People have written more about honey bees than any other species of insect, according to Great Plains Nature Center.
  1. Pollen

    • For the first five or six days of a honey bee's adult life, it consumes large amounts of pollen to obtain protein, minerals, vitamins and lipids to complete its growth and development.

    Nectar

    • Between the 10th to 14th day of adult life, worker bees' main dietary source is carbohydrates, which is gathered as nectar from flowers, trees and plants.

    Honey

    • Honey is made from nectar that is collected by the bees. According to Backyard Beekeepers, as part of the honey bees' diet, they eat the honey all year round. It is pure food for the bees, easily digestible, hydroscopic and has antibacterial qualities.

    Water

    • To maintain nutritional levels, composition, brood rearing and normal behavior, water is essential in bees' diet and must be available at all times, according to Mid-Atlantic Apiculture.

    Sugar Syrup

    • To assure that the honey bees get necessary nutrition, beekeepers provide a thick mixture of equal amounts of sugar and water. When the mixture is hard, it is placed over the brood nest and cluster for bee consumption.

    Dry Sugar

    • As an emergency method, beekeepers provide dry sugar to their honey bees in late winter when it's too early for regular sugar syrup feedings.