Beekeepers who feed their bees pseudo-honey, meaning high-fructose corn syrup or sucrose in times of honey shortage, may be contributing to the annual honeybee die-off, researchers explain.
This practice has recently come under close scrutiny with honeybee populations currently declining in the United States and Europe, and rightfully so. A new study described in the journal Scientific Reports noticed changes in gene activity in response to diet in the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera), and found significant differences occur depending on what the bees eat.