By Tim Hiatt
Apix Biosciences of Belgium has been developing a new protein supplement. Based on Dr. Geraldine Wright's work at Oxford University, this patty purports to be a complete feed. Many new formulas from the main beekeeping suppliers have appeared, but not have purported to be a "complete feed."
Almost all livestock producers have access to an artificial feed with which their livestock will grow and stay healthy. Cattle in a feedlot, chickens in a barn, need not eat any "natural" feed, scientists have developed artificial, manufactured feeds under which these and other animals may continue growing. They constitute a complete feed in that no nutrients are missing.
Apix has been performing trials, some of which were conducted in North Dakota last summer, to assess versions of its new product. That analysis will be completed in California in February. Last summer, Washington State University conducted a tent trial which was very interesting.
Dr. Brandon Hopkins placed hives in large tents in summer and removed all plants from inside. Hives were fed syrup and protein patties, both the new Apix and an industry standard patty. In such an extreme pollen deficit, the differences became clear. After two rounds of brood, brood rearing plateaued for the standard patty hives, but the Apix hives kept growing. By the end of the trial, Apix had produced 2.8 times more brood than the standard patty.
However, field results are not as shocking. In a similar comparison in an outdoor environment with access to natural pollen, Apix produced about 15% more brood. Considering the projected higher cost of Apix, beekeepers must weigh the benefit of a protein supplement which can raise brood during a complete dearth versus less expensive alternatives which are nearly as good when some pollen is available. Certainly, a pollen patty which can foster brood growth without any incoming pollen has a place in beekeeping. What that place may be will rest on further examinations of the performance of this "pollen replacing feed." Further tests with updated formulations are planned in the US next year, including in North Dakota.