Lecture: Nutritional requirement and supplemental feeding

Marin Anastasov talk: Nutritional requirement and supplemental feeding

Nutrition is a basic biological need and the pre-requisite for a healthy and productive colony.
Carbohydrates provide bees with the energy for flight, movement and heat, while protein, fats, vitamins and minerals are needed for the growth, function and development of the colony.

This talk will cover the importance of different nutrients to both individual bees and to the colony and will look at the different types of feed required at different times of the year. It will describe when, how, and what to feed bees, the different types of food available, and the various types of feeders.

About Marin Anastasov, NDB

Marin started beekeeping in his teens and developed his initial beekeeping knowledge and skills while studying towards BSc in Animal Science in Bulgaria. Later, he completed an MSc in Organic Farming at Aberdeen University. He is passionate about sustainable food production and his entire working career has been in organic food and farming. Marin is a Master Beekeeper and gained his NDB in 2017. He currently manages 30 colonies in Gloucestershire.

Marin is Trustee of Gloucestershire Beekeepers Association and is the Chairman on the BBKA Examinations Board. He is an assessor for the Basic, General Husbandry and Advanced Husbandry certificates and has contributed to the development and running of the General Husbandry and Advanced Husbandry training programmes for the BBKA. Marin is co-author and led the implementation of the BBKA Certificate in Honey Bee Breeding, including providing the training and support to both future candidates and assessors.