Nutritional Supplements and Vitamins

Nutritional supplements and vitamins are vitamin–mineral mixes, amino acid preparations, probiotics, plant extracts and “immune-supporting” products sold for adding to bee feed or syrup. For most of these products, scientific evidence of benefit at colony level is limited; none of them replaces adequate honey and pollen stores, varroa control or a correct diagnosis. This page explains what each product group promises, what the evidence says and the principles of safe use.

Do bees need vitamins?

Yes, but in nature this need is met by pollen. The best-known vitamin requirement of the honey bee is for the B vitamins; these are needed for nurse bees to produce larval food and for brood development. Minerals also come mainly from pollen, and partly from water. There is no strong evidence that a colony able to collect pollen from a variety of plants needs additional vitamin or mineral supplements.

The problem is usually not a vitamin deficiency but a pollen shortage. In a pollen dearth the colony needs not only vitamins but protein, amino acids, fats and sterols; and these can only be provided by pollen or a good pollen substitute. A detailed explanation of nutrients is on the Nutrients page.

Supplement product groups on the market

Vitamin–mineral mixes

Sold for adding to syrup or patties. They are usually claimed to increase brood rearing, reduce stress or ease wintering. Independent studies confirming these claims at colony level are limited. Too many minerals can be harmful: in winter they can increase the build-up of waste in the bees' gut and contribute to defecation inside the hive.

Amino acid mixes

Offered as a solution to protein shortage. However, syrup with a few added amino acids does not replace a protein source (pollen, bee bread, pollen substitute). If the aim in a pollen dearth is brood rearing, giving pollen patties is a more consistent route; details are on the Pollen Feeding page.

Probiotic and prebiotic products

Sold with the claim that they support beneficial bacteria in the bee gut. The honey bee does indeed have a distinctive bacterial community in its gut, and this is an active field of research. However, it has not yet been consistently shown that bacteria given from outside settle in the gut and lastingly improve colony health or productivity. Study results are mixed; some report benefits, others no effect or a negative effect.

Plant extracts and essential oils

Extracts and essential oils of plants such as thyme, mint and garlic are marketed as “natural protectants” for adding to syrup. Some components have been found to act against microbes or mites under laboratory conditions; but the same effect is not always seen via syrup and under hive conditions. These substances can also carry odour and residues into comb and honey. Authorised thymol-containing products used for varroa control are a separate matter and are applied according to their own instructions; they are not feeding supplements.

“Immune-boosting” and “disease-preventing” products

These products are often sold with general, unmeasurable claims. If a product claims to treat or prevent a disease, that is a medicinal claim; if it has no authorisation as a medicine, do not trust the claim. No supplement is a treatment for notifiable diseases such as American and European foulbrood.

The evidence behind supplement products

Questions to ask before giving supplements

1. Are the basic needs being met? Is there enough honey (or syrup) and bee bread in the hive, and is pollen coming in from the field?
2. Is the varroa level known? The most common cause of weakening colonies is varroa and the viruses it carries. Supplements do not reduce the mite load.
3. Is the queen good? Irregular brood may be caused by an old or failing queen.
4. Are there signs of disease? If there are signs such as faecal streaks on the front of the hive and on the bars, or changes in the colour and smell of the brood, a diagnosis must come first. For a definitive diagnosis, go to a laboratory.
5. Is the product's claim measurable? Instead of general claims such as “strengthens, supports”, prefer products with independent trial results and a list of ingredients.

Safe-use principles if supplements are to be used

• Do not give them while supers are on: Anything added to syrup is stored in the comb and can pass into the honey. Give supplemented feed after the supers have been removed; before putting supers on, make sure no supplemented feed is left in the brood box.
• Follow the instructions on the label: Do not increase the recommended amount, and do not mix several products.
• Do not add antibiotics or unauthorised medicines: Adding antibiotics to syrup leaves residues in honey and wax, leads to the development of resistance and is not legal.
• Try one at a time and compare: Give the product whose effect you are curious about to a few colonies in your apiary and compare them with colonies of similar strength; record the results.
• Pay attention to storage conditions: Do not use a product that is out of date, has absorbed moisture or has spoiled.

Balanced nutrition the natural way

What best ensures a colony's vitamin and mineral balance is setting up the apiary in a place where the bees can get pollen from different plants throughout the year. Frames of bee bread taken from healthy colonies, pollen collected from your own apiary and properly stored, and clean water are a more complete food than any supplement you can buy. Planting early- and late-flowering plants around the apiary can also be considered a long-term “supplement”.

Common mistakes

• Trying to fix a weak colony with vitamins: A supplement given without investigating the real cause (varroa, queen, starvation, disease) wastes time.
• Giving supplemented syrup during the honey season: This creates a risk of residues and adulteration.
• Home-made “cure” mixtures: The benefit of additives such as vinegar, salt and herbal teas has not been proven; some can speed up the formation of substances in syrup that are harmful to bees.
• Increasing the dose: A “more is better” approach is harmful, especially with minerals and essential oils.