A study led by Dr. Najmeh Sahebzadeh at the University of Zabol in Iran examined whether dietary supplements could enhance honeybees’ ability to withstand temperature stress caused by climate change. The research involved feeding worker bees a combination of probiotics and inulin, a plant-derived prebiotic, and comparing their survival rates against bees given a standard sugar diet when exposed to temperature extremes.
The findings indicated that bees receiving the probiotic and prebiotic mixture demonstrated improved survival during prolonged cold exposure compared to the control group. However, the supplements proved largely ineffective against extreme heat conditions. When laboratory temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius, all bees died within days regardless of their diet, though some that received higher supplement doses survived marginally longer than others.
Independent experts noted important limitations to the study’s scope. The research was conducted on isolated caged bees rather than full colonies in natural outdoor hive environments. Prof Giles Budge from Newcastle University explained that colony-level behaviors—such as honeybees fanning their wings together to cool their nest—could not be replicated in laboratory conditions and would significantly affect how colonies respond to thermal stress in real-world settings.
Researchers and experts emphasized that while nutritional supplements may offer some benefit during cold periods when bees cannot forage and must rely on stored resources, they should not replace broader environmental conservation efforts. Dr. Sahebzadeh cautioned that supplements address only immediate physiological stress rather than underlying challenges including habitat fragmentation, declining forage availability, and pesticide exposure. Both scientists stressed the importance of improving floral diversity and countryside management to support honeybee health without dependence on artificial feeding interventions.