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Student 10-Minute Presentation

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Student

Student Competition

Grad 10-min Competition: P-IE, Apiculture

Triadica sebifera (Chinese tallow) nutrition and what it offers for Apis mellifera (honey bee)

Monday, November 11, 2024
8:00 AM – 8:12 AM MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, 132 A, PCC
Oral Presentation Student Competition
The goal of this work was to better understand the role Triadica sebifera (tallow tree), a highly invasive tree, contributes to Apis mellifera (honey bee) colony nutrition in parts of the US Southeast. Known as a nectar-producing plant by beekeepers, the role it contributes to overall honey bee nutrition is not known. Corbicular pollen, the primary source of protein for honey bees, was collected for two years (2022 and 2023) from 12 – 13 honey bee colonies located in southern and central Alabama. Entrance pollen traps were activated weekly during late spring while tallow was in bloom. Additionally, pollen and nectar was collected directly from tallow flowers to access their nutrient compositions from locations in east-central Alabama, southern and central Mississippi, and northern Florida. Corbicular pollen samples show that tallow was a major source of pollen for honey bee colonies in southern Alabama, but relative amounts varied by time and location. Other pollens collected by honey bees included Lagerstroemia indica (Crepe myrtle), Magnolia grandiflora (Magnolia), and Trifolium/Melilotus spp. Tallow pollen collected directly from the flowers was a major source of essential fatty acids (linolenic and linoleic), containing seven of the ten essential amino acids (isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine) required by honey bees. Similarly, tallow nectar generally contains the key sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose) and ten essential amino acids also required by honey bees. Our work suggest that tallow is an important source of nutrients for honey bees located in the US southern coastal plains region.