What is Bee Bread?
Bee bread is a blend of pollen, honey and bee saliva that has been mixed together resulting in fermentation. No honey bee colony can survive without this vital protein source that makes brood rearing possible. In this post, you will learn the process of how honey bees make bee bread and how it influences life inside the hive.
One of the first things you learn as a beekeeper is the ins and out of honey bee diet – what bees eat. Honey and pollen are the first things that come to mind but there is much more to the story.
What Bee Bread is Made of?
In some ways, bee bread is like your favorite recipe. It is a blend of many natural materials. These combine to form a rich protein source. In the end, the actual nutritional profile of bee bread will vary due to the pollen sources used.
- pollen
- honey
- bee saliva and enzymes
Raw Pollen
The primary ingredient in bee bread is plant pollen. A powdery substance, collected from flowers by hard working bees, pollen is carried back to the hive in “pollen baskets”. But, honey bee can not digest raw pollen and it does not store long term without spoiling.
Honey
We know that bees make honey. Honey has many useful properties and bees incorporate some into bee bread. Honey contributes sweetness and helps prevent spoilage.
Bee Saliva & Enzymes
While saliva from a honey bee may sound simple and perhaps boring – it is anything but! The enzymes present in bee saliva begin the fermentation process necessary to convert raw pollen into bee bread.
Breaking down the complex structures inside pollen grains makes bee bread more nutritious and easier to digest than raw pollen.
Nutritional Value
Bee bread serves as a nutritional powerhouse for honey bees. Rich in protein, it provides many other essential nutrients needed by the colony.
A boost of energy packed carbohydrates is included by the addition of honey. It also contains many macro and microelements such as: iron, selenium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and others.
How Bees Make Bee Bread
The production of bee bread by honey bees involves several different steps.
- foraging and collection
- fermentation
- storage and packing
Pollen Collection
Pollen is collected by foraging workers from thousands of blooming flowers. As the bee lands on a flower, some of the pollen grains are attracted by static electricity to the hair covering her body.
She uses her mouthparts and legs to gather more pollen – mixing it with a bit of nectar and/or enzyme rich saliva to form small pellets. The pellets are then pushed onto the stiff hairs of the corbicula.
The corbicula is found on the hind legs of bees. This structure is a part of the bee body that is also called a “pollen basket”.
The average pollen load of a forager may be up to 35% of her body weight- averaging about 15mg. The number of grains needed to make a load varies greatly by source.
Fermentation
Upon returning to the hive, pollen is deposited into empty wax cells. House bees may assist in this process and they also add enzyme rich saliva to the pollen. These enzymes include amylase, invertase, and glucose oxidase
These enzymes are critical because they initiate the fermentation process. Complex pollen proteins and carbohydrates are broken down into simpler, more digestible forms.
Yeasts and lactic acids in the hive also aid in the fermentation process of bee bread. They enhance the nutritional value and prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi.
(Saliva with its special enzymes is a powerful tool for our honey bees. Salvia ends up in honey too and thus the myth that honey is bee vomit! Not true.)
Storage
As raw pollen is deposited in cells, house bee come along and use their heads to tightly pack the contents of the cell-removing trapped air pockets. This is an important step in continuing the preservation and fermentation cycle.
Because multiple field bees deposit pollen pellets in cells, you may see a rainbow of pollen colors. An individual cell may contain many different colors of pollen from a variety of plants.
As a final step, a light covering of honey is spread over the surface of the stored bee bread to seal it. This honey seal helps protect the stored pollen from air and potential contaminants. This is why bee bread often has a shiny surface.
Use in the Hive
A good supply of bee bread in the hive goes beyond the mere nutrition that it provides to individuals. It is also a stable food source that will last for months.
In very early spring, the colony begins to rear young or bee brood. This would not be possible without stored protein -available at a time when natural foraging may not be possible.
Deep inside the warm hive, growing bee larvae are fed by nurse bees who rely on bee bread for nourishment.
Keep in mind, this is not just a seasonal thing. Honey bees produce bee bread all season long. It can be used anytime brood is present. During times of nectar dearths – it is not uncommon for pollen to be in short supply too.
The colony without some frames of bee bread will be in trouble if pollen collection is stopped for an extended time.
Brood Rearing
The growth and well-being of the colony is dependent on a healthy strong new generation. Worker bees serving as (nurse bees) must consume bee bread in order to produce food for developing young.
The special brood food includes royal jelly but there are other secretions produced as well. Older bee larvae may even be fed small bits of bee bread directly.
Without this rich protein source, the colony would not be able to rear healthy strong young to take over hive duties as some honey bees die of old age.
Pollen Source & Quality
Alas, not all bee bread is equal in quality. The nutritional profile provided depends heavily on the quality of plant pollen used to make it.
The goal is a diverse collection of nutritious pollen from many different plants to provide a wide range of nutrients. If a colony suffers from poor quality bee bread – nurse bees will not be able to produce the proper food for healthy young.
Bee Bread and Humans
While the primary consumers of bee bread are … well.. bees, humans are also interested in the possible benefits offered by this nutrient dense food.
Bee bread is rich in protein and essential amino acids. It contain several vitamins including some of the complex B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12).
Fermentation enhances the antioxidant properties of bee bread. Bee bread has been called “Ambrosia” (food of the Gods).
Research continues to investigate the true extent of the human benefits (if any) of this product from the hive. Some studies say yes. But, you should always be aware of the chance of allergic reactions to any raw product. Check with your doctor first.
Are the bees on to something? Perhaps. This is another reason that people enjoy eating honeycomb. It often contains fermented pollen.
FAQs
Enzymes in bee saliva causes fresh pollen to undergo lactic acid fermentation. Bee bread is fermented pollen.
Bee bread has a slightly sweet flavor with a bit of a nutty aftertaste. However, it will vary according to the pollen source used to make it.
No, bee bread is made with fermented pollen. Honeycomb is made from wax produced by worker bees.
People consume bee bread in several different forms. It can be added as a topping to salads or mixed in smoothies.
Pollen grains have a very tough outer coating – this makes getting to the nutritious part too difficult.
Also, older adult bees cannot eat the pollen because they lack the proteolytic enzymes needed for digestion.
A Final Word
Bee bread allows the colony to have a stable protein source year round. It is important for beekeepers to understand this importance of proper pollen storage – especially as the season ends. If Winter approaches and you are not seeing bee bread stored in the hive – your bees are in need of support. A dry pollen feeder in warm weather or possibly pollen patties inside the hive may be needed.