Nutrition
The variety of nectar and pollen that bees gather from the environment meet all their nutritional needs. They can only obtain protein from the pollen they encounter and an adult worker bee will need 3.4–4.3 mg of pollen each day to ensure proper nutrition is met. To produce one larva, 125-187.5 mg pollen must be consumed in order for proper development to occur [2]. Bees must also obtain several essential amino acids from the food they consume, such as lysine and arginine, which are required in higher amounts for rearing offspring [3]. In adolescent bees, lipids are consumed to use for biochemical processes later in their lives. They obtain lipids from the pollen.
The nectar collected from the flowers is used as a source of hydration and carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are gathered in the form of sucrose from the flowers and is then broken down into glucose and fructose monomers. In moderate weather conditions, the water from the nectar is enough for the hive, but in warmer climates, bees will turn to gathering water droplets from nearby water sources to hydrate themselves and cool down the hive [4].
Digestion
Digestion is aided by special gut bacteria in the abdomen of bees. These bacteria help break down the pollen into flavonoids that reduce disease rates connected to oxidative stress [5][6]. Other gut bacteria in the bee abdomen trigger the release of hormones that promote immune health [5].
Digestive system
The digestive system of bees is composed of a foregut, a midgut, and a hindgut that separately develop during the growth of a bee. When a bee sheds its exoskeleton during larval development, the midgut and hindgut linings are shed as well, due to them being covered in the same material as the exoskeleton. The foregut includes that mouth, esophagus and crop (stores liquid foods, such as nectar).
The Malpighian tubules in the midgut function as osmolarity regulatory systems that balance the water concentration in bees, while removing waste from the hemolymph [5].
The hindgut includes an ileum and a rectum, which both facilitate the removal of waste from the body. In this area, water and salt can be reabsorbed, if necessary, to retain any moisture not extracted from the nectar the bee consumes. The solids particles that are not broken down in the digestive system will be eliminated as feces.
Leung, J.(ninjason). bee sipping on purple floewr photo. Published April 21, 2019.
Brodschneider, Robert; Crailsheim, Karl (2010-05-01). "Nutrition and health in honey bees". Apidologie. 41 (3): 278–294.
Anderson, Leroy M; Dietz, A. (1976). "Pyridoxine Requirement of the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) For Brood Rearing". Apidologie. 7: 67–84.
Kuhnholz, Susanne (1997). "The Control of Water Collection in Honey Bee Colonies". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 41 (6): 407–422.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171212141506.htm [5]