Apipasta plus proteins (3%) 14kg

The bee's diet consists of 20% pollen (proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals) and 80% nectar (sugars). Pollen, with an average protein content of 15%, contributes 3% crude protein to the bee's diet.

Therefore, Apipasta Plus contains 3% high-quality crude protein with the 10 essential amino acids needed by bees, according to De Groot's proportions. It also includes an exclusive vitamin supplement from Zukán, providing essential vitamins found in pollen, such as B, C, K, and A vitamins.

Despite being a maintenance food enriched with proteins (3%) and vitamins, Apipasta Plus is consumed like fondant, thanks to its packaging and composition, preventing it from drying out or attracting undesirable insects inside the hive.

It is important to note that Apipasta Plus is not a protein patty nor a direct substitute for pollen. Protein patties need at least 8% protein to be effective, ideally between 14-20%. With its 3% crude protein, Apipasta Plus does not stimulate brood rearing like protein patties designed for that purpose. Instead, it is a complete fondant for the cold months, providing a more complete maintenance feed than a regular sugar fondant, ensuring bees have adequate and balanced nutrition during winter.

Features and Benefits

1. Sugar and Protein Composition:

• Apipasta Plus contains 85% sugars, making it easy for bees to consume.

• It contains 3% high-quality crude protein with the 10 essential amino acids according to De Groot's proportions, supporting overall hive health without directly substituting pollen.

2. High-Quality Fondant:

• The base of Apipasta Plus is a sugar fondant obtained through a recrystallization process of sucrose.

• This process includes evaporating water until the sucrose reaches a saturation concentration, followed by rapid cooling and agitation to achieve extremely small crystals (less than 30μm).

• The result is a moldable and easily dissolvable paste, ideal for bees to consume.

3. Nutritional Supplementation:

• Apipasta Plus contains an exclusive vitamin supplement from Zukán that provides essential vitamins found in pollen, such as B, C, K, and A vitamins.

4. Stability and Durability:

• With a 10% water content, Apipasta Plus offers great stability and a shelf life of up to 2 years, ensuring its effectiveness and freshness over time.

• The moldable texture of Apipasta Plus prevents spills and drying during application, ensuring prolonged and waste-free consumption.

5. Comparison with Other Products:

• Unlike other paste foods not considered fondant, Apipasta Plus maintains uniform and rapid crystallization, avoiding glucose crystallization observed in products with high ºBrix and concentrated glucose.

• Typically, in summer or hot seasons, non-fondant products tend to form a liquid layer on top or even become completely liquid, losing their consistency. In winter, these products can become hard with little moisture, making them difficult for bees to consume.

• Apipasta Plus, with its higher total sugar content and smaller crystal size, is a more efficient and cost-effective option. This texture is unique to the best fondants, making it ideal for prolonged consumption during autumn and winter, avoiding spills and drying during application.

About Protein Supplementation in Bees

In a world where climate change and environmental degradation are increasingly evident, bees face unprecedented challenges for their survival. Phenomena such as global warming, unusually warm winters, forest fires, and pollution have drastically altered the availability and quality of essential food for these tireless workers: pollen and nectar.

The diet of bees requires a balanced mix of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Protein supplementation becomes a key tool to increase hive population, prepare hives for massive pollination events or intense nectar flows, sustain colony development during scarcity periods, facilitate recovery after exposure to pesticides or varroa infestations, and ensure the continuity of brood production under adverse climatic conditions.

It is important to highlight that Apipasta Plus is not a protein patty nor a direct substitute for pollen. Protein patties need at least 8% protein to be effective, ideally between 14-20%. With its 3% crude protein, Apipasta Plus does not stimulate brood rearing like protein patties designed for that purpose. Instead, it is a complete fondant for the cold months, providing a more complete maintenance feed than a regular sugar fondant, ensuring bees have adequate and balanced nutrition during winter.

Directions for Use

Apipasta Plus is easy to use. Simply place the bags inside the hive, slightly opening the wrapper to allow bees to access the food. This method ensures prolonged and consistent consumption, perfectly meeting the nutritional needs of bees during autumn and winter.

Recommended use: Apipasta Plus is ideal as maintenance feed to prevent starvation due to honey deficit when reserves are insufficient. It is perfect for autumn and winter feeding or forming new nuclei. This product complements protein supplementation (protein patties) to cover the pollen deficit.