In Washington’s crop fields, a revolution is unfolding inside a wooden beehive. Honey bees are doing something never seen before: thriving without pollen.
For the first time, scientists have developed a fully synthetic food source capable of sustaining honey bee colonies long-term in the absence of their natural diet. The breakthrough is the result of a decade-long collaboration between researchers at Washington State University (WSU) and APIX Biosciences in Belgium.
“This innovation could change the way honey bees are managed,” said Dr. Patrick Pilkington, CEO of APIX Biosciences. “Until this study, honey bees were the only livestock that could not be maintained on a man-made feed.”
The new feed—a dense, nutrient-rich patty that resembles a Power Bar—is placed directly into hives. It contains a blend of nutrients, including sterols, vitamins, and proteins, designed to mimic what bees normally collect from flowers. The key ingredient is isofucosterol, a plant sterol that, until now, had been overlooked in bee nutrition.
A Power Bar for Bees
Honey bees, like humans, are generalists. They need a variety of foods—specifically pollen from different plant species—to meet their complex nutritional needs. But landscapes are changing fast. “Changes in land use, urban expansion, and extreme weather all negatively impact nutrition for honey bees and other pollinators,” said Brandon Hopkins, a co-author of the study and pollinator ecologist at WSU.
To test their food, researchers ran two large-scale experiments. The first was in a controlled environment, where colonies had no access to natural food sources. The second took place during the harsh commercial pollination cycle of blueberries and sunflowers—two crops notorious for poor pollen quality.
In both trials, colonies fed with the new complete diet thrived. Those fed with standard commercial diets or no supplements at all struggled, some even collapsing entirely.
Isofucosterol: A Missing Piece
Surprisingly, researchers found that a single compound—isofucosterol—made all the difference. Colonies deprived of this sterol suffered reduced larval production and neurological impairments. Some bees showed signs of paralysis and could barely walk, the study reported.
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In contrast, bees missing another abundant sterol, 24-methylenecholesterol (24MC), remained viable. This challenges longstanding beliefs in bee physiology, where 24MC was assumed to be vital. Not so much, it seems.
This is the first direct evidence that isofucosterol is an essential nutrient for honey bees.
A Fix for a Broken System
For beekeepers, the implications are immediate. Pollinating blueberry fields, for instance, is a notoriously punishing assignment for bees. “Some beekeepers don’t pollinate blueberries anymore because colonies suffer or die and the pollination fees don’t cover the losses,” Hopkins said.
The new food source could change that calculus. “If they have this supplemental food source, beekeepers may return to pollinating those fields since they know their bees are more likely to survive.”
Colony mortality in the U.S. remains unsustainably high. Surveys report loss rates around 60% in recent years. Habitat destruction, climate extremes, and pesticides all play a role, but nutrition is a major stressor.
APIX and WSU are now preparing the product for a U.S. launch, expected in 2026. Pilkington said, “We are working with WSU and the beekeeping community across the U.S. to develop the best way to make use of this new tool in agricultural settings.”
The findings are already spurring a rethinking of what bees really need. More than just sugar water or protein patties, bees require nuanced nutritional support—including micronutrients like isofucosterol—to thrive.
The findings appeared in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.