Replicates by location and treatment.

In this study, we intensively measured the longitudinal productivity and survival of 362 commercially managed honey bee colonies in Canada, over a two-year period. A full factorial experimental design was used, whereby two treatments were repeated across apiaries situated in three distinct geographic regions: Northern Alberta, Southern Alberta and Prince Edward Island, each having unique bee management strategies. In the protein supplemented treatment, colonies were continuously provided a commercial protein supplement containing 25% w/w pollen, in addition to any feed normally provided by beekeepers in that region. In the fumagillin treatment, colonies were treated with the label dose of Fumagilin-B® each year during the fall. Neither treatment provided consistent benefits across all sites and dates. Fumagillin was associated with a large increase in honey production only at the Northern Alberta site, while protein supplementation produced an early season increase in brood production only at the Southern Alberta site. The protein supplement provided no long-lasting benefit at any site and was also associated with an increased risk of death and decreased colony size later in the study. Differences in colony survival and productivity among regions, and among colonies within beekeeping operations, were far larger than the effects of either treatment, suggesting that returns from extra feed supplements and fumagillin were highly contextually dependent. We conclude that use of fumagillin is safe and sometimes beneficial, but that beekeepers should only consider excess protein supplementation when natural forage is limiting.本研究在为期两年的周期内，对加拿大境内362群商业养殖蜜蜂蜂群的纵向生产力与存活率进行了精细化测定。本研究采用全因子实验设计，在三个不同地理区域——阿尔伯塔省北部、阿尔伯塔省南部以及爱德华王子岛——的养蜂场中重复开展两组处理实验，每个区域均采用独特的蜜蜂养殖管理方案。在蛋白补充处理组中，除各区域养蜂人常规提供的饲料外，所有蜂群持续获得一款添加了25%重量比（w/w）花粉的商业蛋白补充剂。在烟曲霉素（Fumagillin）处理组中，每年秋季均按照Fumagilin-B®的标签推荐剂量对蜂群进行施药处理。两组处理均未在所有采样地点与时间点中表现出一致的正向收益。仅在阿尔伯塔省北部区域，烟曲霉素处理与蜂蜜产量的显著提升存在相关性；而蛋白补充仅在阿尔伯塔省南部区域，可使蜂群在季初的育虫量有所增加。该蛋白补充剂未在任何区域产生持久收益，且在研究后期与蜂群死亡风险升高、群势下降存在相关性。不同区域间以及养蜂场内部蜂群间的存活率与生产力差异，远大于任一处理带来的影响，这表明额外补充饲料与烟曲霉素的收益具有高度的情境依赖性。本研究得出结论：烟曲霉素的使用安全且有时可带来收益，但养蜂人仅应在自然蜜粉源匮乏时，考虑额外添加蛋白补充剂。