Bee Bread
Lexikon
Pollen stored in the cells and fermented by lactic acid bacteria.
Pollen stored in the cells and fermented by lactic acid bacteria. The bees pack the pollen down firmly, add honey and gland secretions, and cover it with a thin layer of honey.
Lactic acid fermentation makes the pollen keep and easier for the bees to digest. Bee bread is the colony's most important source of protein and the basis of all brood rearing. A colony uses about 25 to 30 kilograms of pollen a year, and more depending on its strength.
Anyone who finds pollen combs at the edge of the brood nest in spring can see from them how well the colony is supplied. A colony without pollen stores cannot raise brood, no matter how much honey it has.