Effect of feeding pollen substitutes to honey bee colonies used for kiwifruit pollination and honey production

Abstract

Feeding pollen substitutes to honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) orchards had no significant effect on the amount of kiwifruit pollen collected, but caused a decline in the amount of pollen collected from other sources. Pollen substitutes had no significant effect on honey production from colonies used for kiwifruit pollination or colonies managed solely for honey production. © 1994 The Royal Society of New Zealand.