Evaluating the effectiveness of incorporating natural nutritional supplements into candy paste to improve hygienic behavior in honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera L.)

Abstract:

Hygienic behavior (HB) in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) is a sophisticated social immunity mechanism and a primary natural defense against various brood pathogens and parasites, including American Foulbrood (AFB) and the Varroa destructor mite. This behavior involves the detection, uncapping, and removal of diseased or dead larvae by worker bees before the infection spreads to healthy brood. The researchers conducted their experiment during the Spring season of 2025 at the research apiary located in the College of Agriculture, Kirkuk University. The researchers studied how natural additives, including gelatinous Aloe Vera powder, peanut butter, and Salep, affected the basic candy paste to elicit vital bee behavior. The study tested three natural additives: Aloe Vera powder, peanut butter, and Salep applied to basic candy paste, to determine their effects on bee hygienic behavior. The study employed the Pin-prick Assay to evaluate the cleaning efficiency of worker bees. The results showed that the treatments produced statistically significant differences at P values below 0.05. The treatment that used Aloe Vera as a supplement achieved the best cleaning performance by reaching a cumulative cleaning rate of 98% with an error margin of 1.2% by the third day after treatment. The peanut butter treatment achieved 94.33% cleaning efficiency with a 2.1% error margin, while Salep achieved 87% cleaning efficiency with a 1.8% error margin. The control group reached its minimal cleaning effectiveness by achieving 80% cleaning efficiency, which included a 3.5% error margin. The research evidence shows that natural supplements containing bioactive enzymes, amino acids, and antioxidants will improve workers' neuro-sensory responses, which will result in better health and behavioral immunity for the entire colony.