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10-Minute Presentation

Physiology, Biochemistry, and Toxicology

10-min: PBT, Honey Bee and Social Insects Toxicology and Physiology

Can high-quality pollen supplementation improve honey bee (Apis mellifera) overwintering survival?

Tuesday, November 11, 2025
2:36 PM - 2:48 PM Pacific
Location: Oregon Convention Center, F151, OCC
Oral Presentation
Honey bees and other pollinators are critical for food production and the economy, but they still face several threats. Beekeepers report annual average winter losses of 30% unfortunately this past year reports have been as high as 60%. These losses are often due to factors like high Varroa mite infestations, viral infections, and regional climate differences.
During winter, honey bee colonies undergo behavioral and physiological changes. Individual bees reduce activity, alter hormone levels, store more nutrients, and live longer. At the colony level, brood rearing stops and a thermoregulating cluster forms. Previous lab studies revealed that honey bees show seasonal variation in virus tolerance, with increased susceptibility in August and September—just as colonies begin producing winter bees. Notably, bees fed high-quality pollen during this time showed increased resistance to viral infections. Building on this, we plan to conduct field trials with 20 colonies maintained under standard beekeeping practices. Ten colonies will be supplemented with high-quality pollen during August and September to support the development of robust winter bees. We will collect monthly samples for analysis and experimentally expose bees to Israeli acute paralysis virus starting in August. Colony health will be monitored through winter and into spring. Successful overwintering of honey bee colonies is critical to meet early pollination needs, such as almond blooms.