Honey Bee Supplements
Optimal Hive Health
Benefits of Using High-Quality
Honey Bee Supplements
When it comes to honey bee supplements, the quality of the products you choose makes a world of difference. Strong Microbials sets the gold standard by creating carefully crafted supplements with the latest scientific research, field trials, and feedback from commercial beekeepers. Guided by Master Beekeepers, our Microbiologists have refined our honey bee supplements to address the most significant challenges beekeepers face.
Much like humans, when a bee’s microbiome is balanced, it can help optimize digestion and nutrition. A healthy gut supports pesticide detoxification, increases hive immunity, and helps boost production. Start SuperDFM honey bee supplements today and see the difference in as little as 2-3 months! Expect better appetite, stronger colonies, and better winter survival.
Our Range of Honey Bee Supplements
At Strong Microbials, we take pride in our extensive range of honey bee supplements, meticulously designed to meet the unique needs of beekeepers and their hives in today’s agricultural environment.
SuperDFM-HoneyBee: Strong Digestion, Strong Hives
Field-tested and refined by commercial beekeepers since 2014. SuperDFM HoneyBee is a probiotic that promotes optimal gut health. A balanced gut microbiome helps to optimize digestion and nutrition. This increases the bee’s ability to help inhibit honey bee brood pathogens such as Paenibacillus larvae (American Foulbrood) and Ascosphaera apis (Chalkbrood) and increase hive immunity, production, and profitability.
SuperDFM +P801: Help Detoxify Pesticides
SuperDFM +P801 stands as a testament to our commitment to applying the latest science to create innovative solutions. A 2020 study revealed a significant improvement in the lifespan of bees exposed to pesticides boscalid and thiamethoxam when Pediococcus was included in their diet. Mortality rates dropped from 41% to an astonishing 15%, highlighting the extraordinary impact of this beneficial bacteria.
Our enhanced +P801 formula combines seven potent beneficial bacteria strains, including Pediococcus acidilactici, building upon the success of our original SuperDFM-HoneyBee formula.
SuperFuel: Nutrient-enriched Probiotic Fondant
SuperFuel is a powerful solution for maximizing your colony's health and performance. It is packed with probiotics and Apis Biologix' carefully selected blend of essential amino acids, polyphenols, and bioflavonoids, formulated to reflect floral nectar's nutritional composition. SuperFuel™ is designed to provide your bees with the best supplemental nutrition and support their overall well-being.
SuperNectar: Nutrient-enriched Probiotic Supplement
Building on the foundation of our popular SuperFuel fondant, SuperNectar offers the same nutritional and probiotic benefits in a concentrated powder form.
This innovation is driven by our commitment to offer practical solutions that address cost-efficiency in shipping and provide beekeepers with enhanced flexibility of use. With SuperNectar, beekeepers can adjust concentration and application methods to suit specific seasonal requirements.
BeeBites: Pre & Probiotic SuperFood for Healthy Hives
Made with inverted sugar as the carrier for two powerful probiotics, Bacillus subtilis, and Bacillus licheniformis, as well as Spirulina and Chlorella, which are rich in antioxidants and contain nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. These compounds have been shown to bolster honey bee immune systems, potentially improving their resistance to diseases and parasites.
Boosting Immune Function
In 2005, USDA-ARS Bee Research scientists made a profound discovery: nonpathogenic bacteria like those found in the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus can enhance honey bee immune responses. These beneficial bacteria act as probiotics, fortifying honey bee immunity and helping them withstand attacks from field pathogens. Our supplements are rich in beneficial microorganisms, including Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum. A robust immune system empowers bees to fend off diseases, parasites, and environmental stressors like pesticides and survive extreme weather conditions.
Nurturing Brood Development
Strong brood development is the bedrock of healthy hives. Our microbial supplements feature beneficial microorganisms, including Bacillus, which has long been known to help inhibit honey bee brood pathogens such as Paenibacillus larvae (American Foulbrood) and Ascosphaera apis (Chalkbrood). Recent studies have reinforced the positive impact of Bacillus subtilis probiotics on honey bee colonies. In fact, a 2023 study found that Bacillus probiotics stimulate egg laying by the queen, resulting in increased sealed brood and enhanced colony strength.
Optimizing Digestion
Probiotics play a pivotal role in helping bees cope with stress, combat pathogens, and maintain a healthy microbiome. Bacillus, found in the gut of honey bees, contributes amylase activity crucial for food digestion. Our honey bee supplements are meticulously crafted to ensure the best digestion and nutrient absorption, supporting your colony’s overall well-being.
Maximizing Honey Production
Hives grappling with stress, poor digestion, inadequate nutrition, and pathogens often fall short of their full potential. Strong Microbials’ SuperDFM supplements provide the essential foundation bees need to convert food into energy efficiently and optimize honey production.
Sustainable Beekeeping
We are firm believers in sustainable beekeeping practices that prioritize bee health, environmental well-being, and the satisfaction of our beekeepers. By incorporating SuperDFM honey bee supplements into your apiary, you join a movement in agriculture that embraces new ways to collaborate with nature helping combat pathogens through fundamental biological mechanisms.
TESTIMONIALS
“I gave this to several colonies that appeared very sluggish… They didn’t have much going until I gave them the probiotic and they turned around 180°. I give this to all my colonies and they are doing great!”
- Ed Veiseh
"Last year, I added SuperDFM every time I treated my hives. I added BeeBites in the fall when winter bees were being made. Then I added SuperDFM to my candy board mix for winter. I had 100% survival this winter... I went into winter with 119 colonies, and to date, that’s what I have. Looking at the losses reported all over, I looked to see what I did that could attribute to my success, and I believe it is our products. So thank you! ”
- Marina, Michigan
Committed to Quality Assurance
We test every batch of supplements to guarantee an effective dose of live microbes. Furthering our commitment to quality, Strong Microbials is a registered Safe Feed Safe Food facility, meaning that we undergo a rigorous inspection every year to prove our commitment to safe, clean, and high-quality feed supplement production. We encourage you to learn more about quality testing and follow these important rules for keeping your microbes alive!
Strong Microbials is unparalleled in offering top-quality microbial honey bee supplements designed to revolutionize how beekeepers care for their hives.
Learn about our Master Beekeepers: Our Honey Bee Story.
Our dedication to ingredient quality, transparency, customer support, education, and research sets us apart in the beekeeping industry. As passionate advocates of honey bee health, we take pride in being leaders in producing supplements that enhance the sustainability, well-being, and performance of our invaluable pollinators.
When choosing probiotic supplements, read the label carefully. Labels are required by law to list all ingredients, and ingredient descriptions must follow guidelines established by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which means descriptions such as “proprietary ingredients” or “probiotic blend” are not permitted. The genus and species of probiotic microorganisms must be listed. Quality probiotics will list high CFU (colony forming units) guarantee. This guarantee needs to be billions per gram of product to be effective.
Commonly Asked Questions
Do bees need supplements?
Due to modern agriculture and commercial lawn care and garden products, the prevalence of herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides has shaped the microbial landscape for honey bees throughout the urban and rural ecosystems.
Typically, probiotics would be abundant and particularly useful for certain pathogens. However, with new patterns of stressful weather changes, dearth, and transportation events, honey bees experience a loss of microbes on multiple fronts.
Beneficial bacteria (probiotics) normally decrease during stress, leaving room for pathogenic bacteria to grow. When diseases are treated with antimicrobial treatments (even antimicrobial essential oils) or antibiotics, following those treatments with probiotics is essential.
Instead of waiting for a disease to become apparent, it is cost-effective to maintain a strong microbial line of defense against the domino effect of stress and toxins.
Loss of beneficial bacteria was first noted in CCD hives in "A Metagenomic Survey of Microbes in Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder" by Diana Cox-Foster et al.
What nourishes bees?
The resources that bees collect - nectar, pollen, water, sap, or resin - are crucial for bees to nourish the colony during stressful times. While beekeepers can transfer resources between hives, it is important to avoid sharing pests and pathogens, often unseen, between hives and apiaries.
For example, it is advisable to avoid feeding honey to the bees because it may contain spores of the bacteria Paenibacillus larvae that cause a devastating disease in bees, American Foulbrood. That is why beekeepers turn to artificial feed to nourish the colony that does not have enough food stores.