A new field study shows that honey bees deprived of pollen become more aggressive and display signs of stress. Researchers simulated a pollen shortage over five weeks to examine the effects on bee behavior and health.
The research was led by Elizabeth Walsh of the Agricultural Research Service at the Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics, and Physiology Research Unit in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Scientists from the Pollinator Health in Southern Crop Ecosystem Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi, also took part in the work. They compared an experimental group of bees that received limited pollen with a control group that had adequate supplies.